R (on the application of Dilks) v Secretary of State for Justice

The Court dismissed the Claimant’s claim that the Secretary of State had failed to make reasonable provision for systems and resources so as to enable life and other indeterminate sentence prisoners (such as the Claimant) to demonstrate that they no longer present an unacceptable risk to the public. In particular, the Claimant complained that he was not provided reasonably promptly with a place in an ‘open’ prison and subsequently a place on temporary licence overnight in so-called ‘approved premises’. The Court rejected both arguments and in so doing applied the recent Supreme Court guidance in R (Haney and others) v SSJ [2014] UKSC 66. The Court also dismissed the Claimant’s arguments that his Article 8 rights had been breached and that he was the victim of discrimination.

The full judgment can be read here:
 http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2015/11.html

Simon Pritchard acted for the Treasury Solicitors.