Marginal note:Paramount consideration

100.1 The protection of society is the paramount consideration for the Board and the provincial parole boards in the determination of all cases.

Marginal note:Principles guiding parole boards

101. The principles that guide the Board and the provincial parole boards in achieving the purpose of conditional release are as follows:

• (a) parole boards take into consideration all relevant available information, including the stated reasons and recommendations of the sentencing judge, the nature and gravity of the offence, the degree of responsibility of the offender, information from the trial or sentencing process and information obtained from victims, offenders and other components of the criminal justice system, including assessments provided by correctional authorities;

• (b) parole boards enhance their effectiveness and openness through the timely exchange of relevant information with victims, offenders and other components of the criminal justice system and through communication about their policies and programs to victims, offenders and the general public;

• (c) parole boards make decisions that are consistent with the protection of society and that are limited to only what is necessary and proportionate to the purpose of conditional release;

• (d) parole boards adopt and are guided by appropriate policies and their members are provided with the training necessary to implement those policies; and

• (e) offenders are provided with relevant information, reasons for decisions and access to the review of decisions in order to ensure a fair and understandable conditional release process.

Commission des libérations conditionnelles du canada

Marginal note:Board continued

103. The National Parole Board is continued as the Parole Board of Canada and consists of not more than 60 full-time members and a number of part-time members all of whom are appointed by the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister, to hold office during good behaviour for periods not exceeding 10 years and three years, respectively.

• (c) in any other case, the longer of

  • (i) six months, and

  • (ii) one half of the period required to be served by the offender to reach their full parole eligibility date.

Definition of “sentence”

119.1 For the purposes of sections 119.2 to 120.3, and unless the context requires otherwise, “sentence” means a sentence that is not constituted under subsection 139(1).

Marginal note:Youth sentence

119.2 For the purposes of sections 120 to 120.3, the eligibility for parole of a young person in respect of whom a youth sentence is imposed under paragraph 42(2)(n), (o), (q) or (r) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act and who is transferred to a provincial correctional facility for adults or a penitentiary under section 89, 92 or 93 of that Act shall be determined on the basis of the total of the custody and supervision periods of the youth sentence.

Marginal note:Multiple sentences on same day

• 120.1 (1) A person who is not serving a sentence and who receives more than one sentence on the same day is not eligible for full parole until the day on which they have served a period equal to the total of

  • (a) the period of ineligibility in respect of any portion of the sentence constituted under subsection 139(1) that is subject to an order under section 743.6 of the Criminal Code or section 140.4 of the National Defence Act, and

  • (b) the period of ineligibility in respect of any other portion of that sentence.

• Marginal note:One or more additional consecutive sentences

  (2) If an offender who is serving a sentence, or is serving a sentence that was constituted under subsection 139(1), receives an additional sentence that is to be served consecutively to the sentence they are serving when the additional sentence is imposed — or receives, on the same day, two or more additional sentences to be served consecutively and the additional sentences are to be served consecutively to the sentence they are serving when the additional sentences are imposed — the offender is not eligible for full parole until the day on which they have served, from the day on which the additional sentence is or sentences are imposed, the total of the following periods:

  • (a) any remaining period of ineligibility in respect of the sentence they are serving when the additional sentence is or sentences are imposed, and

  • (b) the period of ineligibility in respect of the additional sentence or, in the case of two or more additional sentences, a period equal to the total of the periods of ineligibility in respect of all of the additional sentences.

• Marginal note:Additional sentence to be served consecutively to portion of sentence

  (3) Despite subsection (2), if an offender who is serving a sentence or a sentence that was constituted under subsection 139(1) receives an additional sentence or two or more sentences that are to be served consecutively to a portion of the sentence they are serving when the additional sentence is imposed — or receives, on the same day, two or more additional sentences including a sentence to be served concurrently with the sentence being served and one or more sentences to be served consecutively to the additional concurrent sentence — they are not eligible for full parole until the day on which they have served, from the day on which the additional sentence is or sentences are imposed, any remaining period of ineligibility to which they are subject and the longer of the following periods:

  • (a) one third of the period that equals the difference between the length of the sentence that was constituted under subsection 139(1), including the additional sentence or sentences, and the length of the sentence that they are serving when the additional sentence is or sentences are imposed; or

  • (b) the period of ineligibility of the additional sentence that is or sentences that are ordered to be served consecutively.

Marginal note:Additional concurrent sentence

• 120.2 (1) Subject to subsection (2), if an offender who is serving a sentence, or is serving a sentence that was constituted under subsection 139(1), receives an additional sentence that is to be served concurrently with the sentence they are serving when the additional sentence is imposed, they are not eligible for full parole until the day that is the later of

  • (a) the day on which they have served the period of ineligibility in respect of the sentence they are serving when the additional sentence is imposed, and

  • (b) the day on which they have served

    • (i) the period of ineligibility in respect of any portion, of the sentence that includes the additional sentence as provided by subsection 139(1), that is subject to an order under section 743.6 of the Criminal Code or section 140.4 of the National Defence Act, and

    • (ii) the period of ineligibility in respect of any other portion of that sentence.

• Marginal note:One or more sentences in addition to life sentence

  (2) If an offender who is serving a life sentence or a sentence for an indeterminate period receives a sentence for a determinate period — or receives, on the same day, two or more sentences for a determinate period — they are not eligible for full parole until the day on which they have served, from the day on which the additional sentence is or sentences are imposed, the total of the following periods:

  • (a) any remaining period of ineligibility to which they are subject, and

  • (b) the period of ineligibility in respect of the additional sentence or, in the case of two or more additional sentences, the period of ineligibility — determined in accordance with subsection (1) or section 120.1, as the case may be — in respect of the additional sentences.

• Marginal note:Reduction of period of ineligibility for parole

  (3) If there has been a reduction — under section 745.6 of the Criminal Code, subsection 140.3(2) of the National Defence Act or subsection 15(2) of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act — in the number of years of imprisonment without eligibility for parole of an offender referred to in subsection (2), the offender is not eligible for full parole until the day on which they have served, from the day on which the additional sentence is or sentences are imposed, the total of the following periods:

  • (a) any remaining period of ineligibility to which they would have been subject after taking into account the reduction, and

  • (b) the period of ineligibility in respect of the additional sentence or, in the case of two or more additional sentences, the period of ineligibility — determined in accordance with subsection (1) or section 120.1, as the case may be — in respect of the additional sentences.

Marginal note:Maximum period

120.3 Subject to section 745 of the Criminal Code, subsection 140.3(1) of the National Defence Act and subsection 15(1) of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, the day on which an offender is eligible for full parole shall not be later than

• (a) in the case of a person who is not serving a sentence and receives more than one sentence on the same day, the day on which they have served 15 years from the day on which the sentences are imposed;

• (b) in the case of an offender who is serving a sentence — or is serving a sentence that was constituted under subsection 139(1) — and who receives an additional sentence that changes the day on which they are eligible for parole, the day on which they have served 15 years from the day on which the additional sentence is imposed; and

• (c) in the case of an offender who is serving a sentence — or is serving a sentence that was constituted under subsection 139(1) — and who receives, on the same day, two or more additional sentences that change the day on which they are eligible for parole, the day on which they have served 15 years from the day on which the additional sentences are imposed.