Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Publication
    The Life Sentence and Parole
    (Oxford University Press, 2012-01) ;
    Taking the life sentence as the new 'ultimate penalty' for many countries, this paper explores the factors associated with the release of life-sentence prisoners on parole. The Republic of Ireland is selected as a case study because it is in the unusual position of being influenced by European human rights norms as well as by the Anglo-American drive towards increased punitiveness. As an apparent outlier to both the human rights and punitive approaches, or perhaps as a hybrid of sorts, the relative impact of the two models can be elucidated. The article also provides an example of how small penal systems can be resistant to broader trends and the value of directing the criminological gaze upon countries where it seldom falls.
    Scopus© Citations 25  1156
  • Publication
    Confusingly compliant with the ECHR: The Release of Life Sentence Prisoners in Ireland
    The release of life sentence prisoners has been criticised for its discretionary and political nature and the failure to afford basic procedural rights to prisoners seeking early release. The process, which has not changed for many years, contrasts with parole decision-making in many European jurisdictions, which has been the subject of intense scrutiny accompanied by reforms that often focused on depoliticising and formalising the making of release decisions. Such reforms have been adopted as a result of domestic pressures as well as the influence of the supranational institutions of Europe. For example, the parole process in the UK has been transformed following ECtHR rulings, with decision-making becoming increasingly independent and judicial, resulting in a range of legal rights accruing to those affected by it.
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