Robert Latimer speaks with media at his family farm in Wilkie, Sask. on Saturday, Mar. 15, 2008. Latimer was issued a four day unescorted absence by the National Parole Board to visit a sick friend or relative and returned to his farm in Wilkie. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Howe

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The Saskatchewan farmer who killed his severely disabled daughter has lost his bid for an extended leave from his halfway house.

The appeal division of the National Parole Board says an earlier decision stands to deny Robert Latimer's request to live on his own during the work week and only stay at a halfway house on weekends.

The board originally turned down Latimer's request in August, saying his request to live on his own did not meet the rules for expanded privileges.

In his application, Latimer said if he lived on his own he could spend more time managing his Saskatchewan farm, keeping in touch with family and taking vocational courses.

Latimer appealed the parole board ruling, claiming among other things that the board erred when it applied the policy of exceptional circumstances.

However, the appeal division says Latimer didn't raise any grounds that would justify changing the board's initial ruling.

"The appeal division felt that the board had interpreted the policy correctly," Patrick Story, a parole board spokesman, said Friday.

"The intention of day parole is that there will be a certain amount of structure and support in the release and that truly exceptional circumstances have to be occurring in the individual's case in order to grant the kind of extended leave privileges that Mr. Latimer was seeking."

The board noted that Latimer had already been granted leave "beyond the norm for other offenders." Latimer gets five consecutive days extended leave per month.

Latimer also said in his submission that "the frequent bed checks make it difficult for (him) to get a good night's sleep." But the appeal division disagreed, saying that the condition is not "unreasonable or overly restrictive for an offender serving a life sentence for second-degree murder."

Latimer is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder in the 1993 death of his daughter Tracy, 12, who he killed with carbon monoxide.

He lives in a British Columbia halfway house and will be eligible for full parole in December 2010.

Story said Latimer has one option left on the extended leave issue.

"Having gone to the appeal division and having presumably not been satisfied with the appeal division's decision, he could conceivably take it to Federal Court," said Story. "Though in this instance over leave privileges, that would be a lot of work for little gain. He's already got quite generous leave privileges as it is."