Right to time off work for certain volunteers who carry out duties in the criminal justice system takes effect

Implementation date: 1 October 2018

The Time Off for Public Duties Order 2018 (SI 2018/665) amends the Employment Rights Act 1996 to extend the right to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off work to perform their public duties to certain groups of volunteers who monitor conditions in custody. It extends the right to include: lay observers, who monitor conditions in court custody and under escort; independent prison monitors, who monitor conditions in Scottish prisons; members of immigration visiting committees; and members of the short-term holding facilities visiting committees.