Does the Parole Board of Canada (PBC)have authority to grant statutory release?
A. No. Statutory release is a legal requirement. However, the Board may add certain conditions to contribute to the protection of society. It may also revoke a release if there is a breach of a condition or detain an offender in certain circumstances. There are rigorous legislative requirements surrounding the detentain of an offender past their statutory release date. The Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) authorizes the National Parole Board, following a referral by the Correctional Service of Canada, to detain in custody until the end of the sentence, any offender who meets the detention criteria, which is that the offender is likely to commit before the end of the sentence: • an offence causing death or serious harm to another person; • a sexual offence involving a child; or • a serious drug offence. The law further requires the Board to review detention orders annually.
