The Law Council of Australia has welcomed the establishment of a Commonwealth Parole Board, saying it is a win for independent, fair and accountable decision-making.
“The Law Council has long advocated for the establishment of a Commonwealth Parole Board to remove political decision-making from the parole process,” Law Council of Australia President Tania Wolff said.
The Commonwealth currently makes about 450 parole decisions each year, and that number is increasing.
The Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 (Cth) and the Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025 was passed today.
The establishment of a federal parole board brings the Commonwealth into line with every Australian state and territory, all of which already have independent parole authorities.
It also removes a long-standing anomaly, where federal offenders have been the only prisoners in Australia whose parole decisions were made by an elected official.
“This reform will ensure that complex parole decisions for federal offences are made by an appropriately qualified and resourced, independent board,” Ms Wolff said.
“We look forward to working with the board and the Attorney-General’s Department to ensure that its guidelines and procedures reflect transparency, procedural fairness and accountability.”
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