A prisoner who is not aligned to any paramilitary organisation but was a member of the INLA, won his High Court case yesterday.
Henry Doherty (50) had challenged the Minister for Justice's refusal to let him be assessed on whether he qualified for early release under the Belfast Agreement.
Mr Justice McKechnie said it was regrettable that the 1998 Act did not specify that qualifying prisoners should be serving sentences "in connection with terrorism and the affairs of Northern Ireland". That specification was set out in the UK legislation.