Law Council welcomes passage of Commonwealth Parole Board legislation
16 April 2026
On 1 April 2026, the Commonwealth Parliament passed legislation to establish an independent Commonwealth Parole Board. The Law Council of Australia welcomed the legislation in a media release, describing it as a win for independent, fair and accountable decision making.
The Law Council has long advocated for the establishment of a Commonwealth Parole Board to remove political decision-making from the parole process. In 2022, the Law Council released a position paper on a Federal Parole Authority
The legislation—the Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 (Cth) and the Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025—represents a substantial improvement to the administration of justice at the national level by establishing a decision-making Board that is independent from government and appropriately resourced.
The establishment of a federal Parole Board brings the Commonwealth into line with the states and territories, which all have independent parole authorities. It also removes a long-standing anomaly, where federal offenders have been the only prisoners in Australia whose parole decisions were made by an elected official. Law Council President Ms Tania Wolff noted that “this reform will ensure that complex parole decisions for federal offences are made by an appropriately qualified and resourced, independent board”.
The Law Council looks forward to working with the Board and the Attorney-General's Department to ensure that its guidelines and procedures reflect principles of transparency, procedural fairness and accountability.
Last Updated on 14/04/2026