Unlike a court or a tribunal, the Board is exempt from the rules of natural justice and its decisions are not subject to appeal or certain forms of review. The rules of natural justice include a right to be heard by the decision-maker, a right to be represented by a lawyer, a right to look at the information or evidence that the decision-maker relied on in reaching its decision.
Prisoners can write to the Board to request a review of a Board decision. If the Board determines that there is a proper basis for the review, it may review the original decision. In some instances, the Board may not need to conduct a review, but might be able to deal with the request in another way, for example by providing more information to the prisoner about its decision.
There is no limit on the number of times a prisoners can apply for parole. This means that a prisoner who has had a previous parole application denied or deferred, or has had parole cancelled, can apply for release on parole again. They will improve their chances of being granted parole if they can demonstrate that they have addressed the factors that led to the denial, deferral or cancellation.
