Compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights
70. The government considers that the Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Bill is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice has provided a statement under section 19(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998 to that effect. The operation of clauses 1 to 4, whilst having retrospective effect, do not in the view of the government engage Article 7 of the European Convention as it does not increase the penalty imposed by the court. The provisions in the Bill do not retrospectively alter a serving offender’s sentence. The government considers that release arrangements are part of the administration of a sentence, which can change without breaching an offender’s human rights