Background
The Rook Topolski Transparency Review was undertaken to identify what further measures the Parole Board could take to increase openness and understanding of its work. Since 2018 there have been several measures introduced to increase awareness of the parole process and to make the system more accessible including the introduction of decision summaries, parole hearings conducted in public, a BBC One documentary series and the potential for victims to observe private hearings.
These steps have all been a positive move in allowing victims, survivors and the public to better understand how and why the Parole Board makes the decisions that it does. Public protection is the number one priority of the Board but without seeing or understanding how this work is undertaken, it is difficult for people to appreciate what the Board does.
The Transparency Review
In 2025 HHJ Peter Rook and HHJ Michael Topolski undertook a review of the transparency of the Parole Board.
Following consultation across all stakeholders involved in the parole system, the Transparency Review made 34 recommendations to move progress forward and increase openness of the parole system. The Parole Board published this report in June 2025 and committed to publishing further details on the implementation of the recommendations by Autumn 2025.
The Transparency Review can been found here THE ROOK TOPOLSKI TRANSPARENCY REVIEW
Plan
The Parole Board has committed to implementing the recommendations in the review, subject to receiving the necessary funding to do so. Several of the report’s recommendations can be implemented immediately with no requirement for additional funding or powers, for example the recommendation that panel members in public hearings should name themselves.
There will be five main areas of work
- Development of new guidance and updates to existing guidance
- Assessing current information on the Parole Board website with a view to developing a site with greater flexibility and accessibility
- Introducing redacted decisions
- Seeking restriction order powers, backed up with greater contempt powers, to enable us to achieve greater transparency without risking compromising confidentiality
- Improve the technical options for streaming public hearings and victim observed hearings to improve the observer experience
Timings
- By January 2026 new guidance will be published on applications for public hearings and to provide clarity on what should take place in public and what should not. Other guidance will also be altered following this with smaller changes as needed to reflect these developments.
- A pilot for redacted decisions will begin with public hearings in 2025 and continue in selected victim observed private hearings for the first six months of 2026 before deciding whether redacted decisions should be rolled out further.
- The Parole Board has taken the first step in requesting the necessary powers to undertake public hearings in a variety of settings to improve accessibility, including the option to stream hearings to pre-registered attendees.
- Technology will be tested over the next twelve months to determine the most effective way of streaming public hearings and to improve the observer experience.
- A new website for the Parole Board will be developed from April 2026 to make content on public hearings and victim and survivor resources more accessible. In the short term, we will be making edits to existing content where possible.
The Parole Board is committed to reviewing transparency every three years, and will ensure this is a topic on the agenda of the annual Open Board meeting to update on progress.