The publication of the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Bill received a cautious welcome from parties in favour of the Belfast Agreement, but was denounced by those who oppose it.
The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Mr David Trimble, said he welcomed it because it contained the four conditions the British Prime Minister had spelt out in his speech at Balmoral.
"In particular it says that prisoners are only eligible for consideration if they are supporters of organisations `committed to the use now and in the future of only democratic and peaceful means' and that those organisations are `co-operating fully' on decommissioning," he said.
He said the party would be pressing in parliament to ensure that the undertakings in the Balmoral speech were met.
Mr Alex Atwood, an SDLP councillor and one of the party's negotiators at the talks, also welcomed the Bill. "The draft legislation appears to reflect and represent accurately the principles and the process outlined in the agreement," he said.
The Bill was also welcomed by the Women's Coalition. "We always recognised that the prisoners were an integral part of our negotiations," said Ms Monica McWilliams. "Those released prisoners we have worked with have made positive contributions to society."
Sinn Fein warned the government not to introduce any new preconditions for prisoner releases.
Mr Gerry Kelly, the party's candidate in North Belfast, said: "The terms of the Good Friday document allowed for the release of a substantial number of republican prisoners before the end of the summer. We will hold the British government to this pledge."
Both the DUP and the UK Unionists described the Bill as a "fudge".
"The Bill does not set down any requirement for prior decommissioning and instead only includes vague terminology about co-operating with an arms decommissioning commission," said the DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson.
Mr Robert McCartney of the UK Unionists echoed many of these concerns. Referring to the need for "complete and unequivocal ceasefires", he said: "One very important word is missing - permanent."