Mehmet, R (on the application of) v London Probation Board

Facts

The claimant, Rifat Mehmet, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in 1983 to 18 years' imprisonment for armed robbery and possession of a firearm. He escaped from prison in 1987 and remained unlawfully at large for some six years, living for a substantial part of that time in Cyprus, and while at large and shortly after returning to the United Kingdom he committed further serious offences, for which Preston Crown Court imposed a consecutive nine-year term, making 27 years in total, expiring in 2016. He was released on licence in August 2003, the licence running until 15th April 2008 and containing the standard condition that he must not travel outside the United Kingdom without prior approval, to be given in exceptional circumstances only; he reports monthly to his supervising officer. In 2004 his sister, who runs a travel service, sought permission for him to travel to Cyprus as part of his employment with her business. That request was refused, and judicial review proceedings challenging the refusal were compromised on the basis that a fresh decision would be taken. The fresh decision, refusing permission, was contained in a letter of 16th May 2006 from Assistant Chief Officer Sandhu, applying the new policy on temporary travel abroad while on licence set out in Probation Circular 4/2006. The claimant sought judicial review of that second refusal.