Reviews on young inmates

Fresh reviews of the cases of all 20 young inmates detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure should be completed by the end of this month, Secretary for Security Peter Lai Hing-ling said yesterday.

In a written reply to unionist Leung Yiu-chung, Mr Lai said the recommendations would then be forwarded to the Governor for his consideration.

'The purpose of the reviews is to consider the possibility of release on licence under that section, as well as the fixing of a determinate sentence,' Mr Lai said.

The reviews have been prompted by a recent judicial review of the long-term sentence of an inmate detained under Her Majesty's Pleasure.

The court reversed the Governor's decision not to exercise his prerogative to release the inmate in question.

Mr Lai explained the review spelt out that rules regarding the release of prisoners on probation should have also been applied to those young offenders jailed indefinitely, or on Her Majesty's Pleasure.

He added: 'The court did not rule that it was impermissible to release HMP prisoners through the fixing of a determinate sentence.'