Part 2 - Powers

General powers of the Commissioners

3. (1) Subject to the provisions of these rules, the Commissioners may regulate their own procedure in dealing with any matter as they consider appropriate.

(2) The Commissioners shall make available to the prisoner, to the Department of Justice, and to their representatives information regarding any procedures they adopt pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3) The Commissioners may deal with matters and cases in the order they consider appropriate save that they shall, so far as is practicable to do so, give priority to the consideration of cases under Parts 4 and 5.

(4) Where a prisoner’s case has been referred to the Commissioners and the Chief Commissioner thinks it necessary to interview the prisoner the Chief Commissioner may authorise a Commissioner to interview the prisoner with the prisoner’s consent and a report of that interview shall be considered by the single Commissioner and panel (if any) dealing with the prisoner’s case.

(5) A copy of the report of the interview prepared under paragraph (4) shall be made available to the prisoner and the Department of Justice.

The deputy Chief Commissioner

4. The deputy Chief Commissioner shall exercise such powers and functions as may be delegated by the Chief Commissioner and in the event of the Chief Commissioner being unavailable shall exercise all or any of the powers and functions conferred on the Chief Commissioner by these rules.

Deemed delegation to deputy Chief Commissioner

5. When the Chief Commissioner is a member of a panel dealing with a case, the Chief Commissioner shall, after appointment of the panel under rule 12(2) be deemed to have delegated all of the powers and functions of the Chief Commissioner relating to that case to the deputy Chief Commissioner.