Judges said the Lord Chancellor’s policy was at odds with his own official directions to the Parole Board. They rejected the Lord Chancellor’s “striking” claim that since he issued the directions he was not bound by them, but could “ignore or contradict” them. “So long as they remian in force... he cannot lawfully tell the Board to ignore them or his officials to frustrate them,” the judges ruled. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said it would appeal the ruling.