One of the most frequently asked questions that our free helpline team deals with is, ‘Can I claim compensation for a delayed parole hearing?’ As this real life case study of a successful compensation claim made following a delayed parole hearing demonstrates, the answer is ‘Yes, you can’.
In 2019, our client, who for confidentiality reasons we will refer to simply as Z, received an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP), becoming eligible for parole in early 2020. Z was entitled to have his parole hearing application reviewed promptly to determine if he could be released. Despite this, our client faced numerous delays and setbacks which were no fault of his own, and he was not released from prison until 2024.
Upon Z’s release from prison, he reached out to our specialist team to find out about pursuing a compensation claim for delay in arranging his parole hearing. Lawyer, Jasmine Moxey-Butler, reviewed all the relevant documents and concluded that because Z’s parole hearing was delayed it led to an unjustified extension of his detention. She advised Z of his options, which included bringing a civil claim against the Parole Board, and agreed to pursue the compensation claim on a No Win, No Fee basis. This meant that Z did not have to worry about funding legal fees.
The claim was submitted to the Parole Board, which accepted that a number of delays had occurred that were in breach of Article 5(4). The Board awarded Z compensation amounting to £6,248. Jasmine felt this was not enough and negotiated an increase so that Z received a higher compensation sum of £8,432.
If you have faced similar delays and have been wondering, ‘Can I claim compensation for a delayed parole hearing?’ then contact our specialist team for a free, confidential case assessment ,and details of No Win, No Fee funding.