Attorney General

The AI tool was developed to identify reporting and consultation duties in the statute book. The tool does not indicate whether the duties are useful, or unnecessary. It was tested on a small data set across the statute book. The dataset included legislation from multiple departments and performed with very high accuracy, rather than being piloted on a single department. The tool has since been applied to the wider statute book.

By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.

As I set out to the house in January 2025, there has always been an established rigorous system in place within the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that a Law Officer would not be consulted on any matter that could give rise to a potential conflict of interest. That process sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict.

This process also sits alongside the declaration of interest system overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

The Solicitor General has not issued any guidance to Departments on whether former Ministers should be consulted before internal Ministerial papers are shared with the courts.

The public sector duty regarding socio-economic inequalities is not yet in force in England. Once in force, the duty will require public authorities (including the Law Officers), when making decisions of a strategic nature about how to exercise their functions, to have due regard to the desirability of exercising them in a way that is designed to reduce the inequalities of outcome which result from socio-economic disadvantage.

The Attorney General’s Guidance on legal risk is intended to assist lawyers and others advising on lawfulness and legal risk in government, by setting out a common framework to assess risk. At such time that the duty comes into force, the Law Officers will have due regard to it in deciding whether any updates to this guidance are required.

The new departmental accountability framework has been launched to permanent secretaries for the year 2026-27 and they have started to set objectives against it, taking into account the Prime Minister’s Priorities. The Cabinet Office, led by the Cabinet Secretary, will be responsible for assessing departmental performance against the new framework.

The new departmental accountability framework has been launched to permanent secretaries for the year 2026-27 and they have started to set objectives against it. The Cabinet Office, led by the Cabinet Secretary, will be responsible for assessing departmental performance against the new framework.

The AI tool has been developed centrally by Cabinet Office and No.10 to identify consultation and reporting duties. We expect all departments to use the tool to identify existing disproportionate reporting and consultation duties, unless there is a justifiable reason not to. Timelines and next steps will be announced in due course.

Consultation should only be used when it is the most effective tool for good policymaking, including where fairness requires it, and not used for other reasons. Reporting requirements should not disproportionately slow down delivery. Decisions remain the purview of ministers.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.

The government has recently published its response to the Consultation on the Implementation of the new Subscription Contracts Regime: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and local Trading Standards can take enforcement action against breaches of consumer protection law, including breaches of the existing and new subscription rules once they are in force. The DMCCA gives the CMA new powers to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on businesses who infringe consumer protection law. We will continue to engage with the CMA ahead of new regulations commencing.

The Government is committed to identifying existing disproportionate reporting and consultation duties that are slowing down delivery. All options are currently being considered to facilitate the removal of unnecessary consultation requirements.

The new approach has taken account of existing legal principles, as will any future changes. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise and challenge any changes to consultation requirements where they are legislative.

The Attorney General’s Guidance on legal risk neither precludes nor requires consultation. Its role is to assist lawyers and others advising on lawfulness and legal risk in government, by setting out a common framework to assess risk.

The annual budget and number of staff for the Crown Prosecution Service Proceeds of Crime Division in each of the last five years are as follows:

*Historical figures from the CPS financial planning system Anaplan do not date back to FY22

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) cannot provide the annual budget and number of staff for the Specialist Fraud Division (SFD) in each of the last five years. Some organisational restructuring to meet the challenges posed by the evolving nature of crime was required at the end of 22/23, leading to SFD becoming subsumed by the multidisciplinary Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID).

The Law Officers have made applications to the High Court under s.42 Senior Courts Act 1981 in each of the last five years as follows:

2021 – 1

2022 - none

2023 - none

2024 – 2

2025 – 2 (3 further applications lodged with directions/hearing dates pending)

These dates relate to when the applications were made at a court hearing.

A list of individuals subject to an order under s.42 and the date the order was made is available online: Vexatious litigants - GOV.UK

No civil servant in the AGO was found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2024 or 2025.

The AGO is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner.

Data has been withheld where disclosure could risk identifying individuals, and rigorous suppression rules have been applied to each year’s figures, including suppressing any proportions based on fewer than five employees. As a result, no disclosable proportions can be published for these years.

The AGO places strong emphasis on early intervention, regular feedback and development, with formal performance management processes used only where necessary and, on a case ‑by ‑case basis.

Where performance does not improve despite this additional support, dismissal may ultimately be considered.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) collects data to assist in the effective management of its prosecution functions. This data is derived from structured data fields completed by front line staff on individual case records held in the Case Management Information System (CMS) and reported in the Management Information System (MIS).

Within CMS management information (MI) is recorded at the level of defendants in a set of proceedings rather than against the individual offence or offences a defendant may be charged. This includes defendants charged with offences of s58 and s59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and s1 of the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. To identify the prosecution outcomes of offences would require a manual review of case records which would be at disproportionate cost.

The CPS is replacing its current Case Management System. This replacement provides opportunities to design improved management information capabilities to meet future reporting requirements.

The SFO is a relatively small, highly specialised government department that is permitted by law to investigate only the most serious and complex cases of fraud, bribery and corruption affecting the UK. Decisions on which cases to investigate are taken independently by the SFO, with the Director determining whether to authorise an investigation in accordance with the criteria set out in the Director’s Statement of Principle.

To assist with my oversight of the Serious Fraud Office, I hold regular superintendence meetings with the SFO’s executive team to keep me appraised of relevant SFO casework matters.

The Government Legal Department’s (GLD) Legal Trainee Scheme is a two‑year programme. Accordingly, the year of completion reflects cohorts who began their training contracts two years earlier.

The number of trainee solicitors who undertook a training contract with the GLD and left upon completion of the two‑year scheme in each of the past five years is as follows:

• Out of the 37 trainee solicitors that completed the scheme, 2 trainee solicitors left upon completion in 2021.
• Out of the 36 trainee solicitors that completed the scheme, 3 trainee solicitors left upon completion in 2022.
• Out of the 37 trainee solicitors that completed the scheme, 2 trainee solicitors left upon completion in 2023.
• Out of the 33 trainee solicitors that completed the scheme, 2 trainee solicitors left upon completion in 2024.
• Out of the 36 trainee solicitors that completed the scheme, 1 trainee solicitor left upon completion in 2025.

The Government Legal Department’s (GLD) Legal Trainee Scheme lasts for two years in total. Those who join the GLD as pupil barristers qualify as barristers at the end of Year 1 of the Training Scheme (the pupillage period). They then remain on the Training Scheme for a further 12 months, during which they gain wider experience of GLD’s legal work.

The number of pupil barristers who left upon completion of the two‑year Training Scheme in each of the past five years is as follows:

• Out of the 5 pupil barristers that completed the scheme, 3 pupil barristers left upon completion in 2021.
• Out of the 5 pupil barristers that completed the scheme, no pupil barristers left upon completion in 2022.
• Out of the 5 pupil barristers that completed the scheme, 1 pupil barrister left upon completion in 2023.
• Out of the 3 pupil barristers that completed the scheme, 2 pupil barristers left upon completion in 2024.
• Out of the 3 pupil barristers that completed the scheme, 1 pupil barrister left upon completion in 2025.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has established policies and procedures in place to identify, declare and manage actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest, including where members of staff hold external roles or appointments.

The CPS Code of Conduct requires employees to seek written permission from their Head of Area Operations/HQ Business Manager before taking up any second employment or other engagement, whether paid or unpaid, and to ensure that any such work does not conflict with the performance of their duties, create a conflict of loyalty or interest, or damage (or potentially damage) public confidence in the CPS.

The CPS Conflicts of Interest Policy and Procedure requires staff to declare relevant outside interests as they arise and to keep declarations under review. Declarations are assessed by management, and decisions (including any mitigations required to address any real or perceived risks) are recorded to ensure an appropriate audit trail.

Where a declared interest raises particular reputational or propriety concerns, the policy provides for advice to be sought as appropriate, and for steps to be taken to remove or mitigate any conflict. Failures to declare relevant interests, or breaches of the Code of Conduct or Conflicts of Interest policy, may be considered under the CPS disciplinary procedures.

As a matter of longstanding practice, it is not appropriate to comment on the employment details of individual members of staff. Any external role or appointment is considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the CPS policies set out above.

The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.

After careful consideration, the Solicitor General gave permission to Ellen Roome to make an application to the High Court for a fresh inquest into Jools' death. The Solicitor General believes there is a reasonable prospect the High Court will order one and wrote to Ellen Roome’s legal representative on the 13th of March to confirm this.

The Home Office publishes official statistics on religious hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales by targeted religion, including Jewish people. The latest statistical bulletin containing this information can be found here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2025 - GOV.UK

Information on whether the offence was targeted at a place of worship or not, or the ethnicity, nationality or faith of the offender for these offences is not centrally held.

The CPS does not maintain a central record of the number of offences committed against Jewish people or the location of the offending, such as a place of worship. Nor is any central record kept of the nationality or faith of defendants prosecuted. To establish the number of prosecutions where these circumstances applied would require a manual review of case files and this would be at disproportionate cost.

The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, or requested of the Law Officers, and the Convention applies to your question.

The Law Officers’ Convention can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, will fundamentally alter the relationship between those who govern and the people they serve.

The Bill, once passed into law, will introduce substantial changes, including a new professional and legal Duty of Candour for public officials, meaning they must act with honesty and integrity at all times, or be met with criminal sanctions for serious breaches.

This Bill will bring forth the biggest expansion in legal aid in a generation, by making provision for publicly funded legal representation for bereaved families at inquests in which the state is an interested party.

I recently announced the extension of the Victims Right to Review scheme beyond the West Midlands to the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside, and Wales. I am carefully reviewing the impact of the pilot scheme ahead of decisions on a potential further rollout.

Under the scheme victims of rape now have the right for their case to be considered by a second prosecutor, before a final decision is taken to drop the case.

This gives victims more of a voice in their cases, and a second chance at justice.

I recognise that the way the CPS communicates with victims has not always met the high standard that victims have every right to expect.

I am determined to put this right.

The CPS Victim Transformation Programme is a step in the right direction, but it must go further to ensure it delivers a high-quality service for victims so that they receive timely, clear communication and straightforward explanations about what is happening in their case and why decisions have been made.

The Attorney General’s Office follows central government guidance on domestic ministerial travel, as set out in the Civil Service Management Code (2016).

The Attorney General’s Office recruited the following number of apprentices in the years requested.

With reference to the publication, JOYS: The Judge Over Your Shoulder, the Government Legal Department is not aware of any supplementary advice or guidance on whether a reconsideration of a Ministerial decision requires a new Minister to take the fresh decision.

In addition, it is a longstanding convention that whether the Law Officers have advised or have not advised, and the content of their advice, must not be disclosed outside government without their authority

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not publish official statistics. Official statistics relating to crime and policing are maintained by the Home Office and Office for National Statistics. Official statistics relating to criminal courts including caseload, timeliness, convictions, and sentencing outcomes are maintained by the Ministry of Justice. However, since January 2020, the CPS has published quarterly bulletins of data tables and summaries of main trends as part of the CPS’s ongoing commitment to transparency on prosecution performance – available here: CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not publish official statistics. Official statistics relating to crime and policing are maintained by the Home Office and Office for National Statistics. Official statistics relating to criminal courts including caseload, timeliness, convictions, and sentencing outcomes are maintained by the Ministry of Justice. However, since January 2020, the CPS has published quarterly bulletins of data tables and summaries of main trends as part of the CPS’s ongoing commitment to transparency on prosecution performance – available here: CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service.

An initial response to the public consultation is due to be published in April, followed by a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026. This report will include all formal responses to the consultation, and the names of the organisations that responded.

The Solicitor General has not had any such discussions.

The Solicitor General has had no such discussions.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is rightly operationally independent from Government. All decisions for prosecutions and appeals are therefore taken independently, without political interference.

In the magistrates’ court, the cost of proceedings came to £4,111.44

In the Crown Court, the cost of the Appeal came to £912.00

These are the costs of external counsel.

For High Court proceedings, as of 26 February 2026, a total of £13,983.60 has been spent on external counsel advocacy.

CPS have been ordered to pay the Respondent’s costs (Mr Coskun) for the CPS appeal hearing – total of £27,982.86.

The Attorney and Dapo have met on 5 occasions, including the Attorney General endorsing Dapo Akande’s candidacy to be a judge to the International Court of Justice.

The revenue from the collection of bona vacantia, including that from the open market sales of any residential property, is transferred annually to the Consolidated Fund for the general funding of HM Government expenditure for the general benefit of all citizens.

The collection and disposal of bona vacantia monies arising from the estates of deceased people & dissolved companies is managed by the Treasury Solicitor as the Crown’s Nominee, with the proceeds passing each year to HM Treasury. Such arrangements are set out in the Crown’s Nominee Account which is laid annually before Parliament.

A review of the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection is underway by the Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team.

A public consultation between October 2025 and February 2026 sought views from a wide range of users, including Government Departments and public bodies, to understand user needs for ethnic group data. This was supplemented by a programme of engagement activity, including with representatives of all government departments.

ONS have committed to providing an initial response to the public consultation in April, and a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026 will include more detailed information on the departments that responded to the consultation.

The At-Home Early Medical Abortion or EMA (known as the “pills by post” scheme), was implemented to allow eligible individuals to receive medication to terminate a pregnancy of less than 10 weeks via post after a telephone or video consultation. Introduced in England and Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 to improve access to care, the scheme was made permanent in August 2022.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold any data which shows the number of prosecutions for offences relating to the illegal use of medication expressly procured to cause an abortion. To establish number and outcomes of prosecutions where relevant offences relating to the misuse of medication were prosecuted would require a manual review of case files and this would be at disproportionate cost.

Management information is available which shows the number of offences charged by way of Sections 58 and 59 (administering drugs or using instruments to procure abortion / procuring drugs, instruments to cause abortion) and Section 1 (child destruction) in which a prosecution commenced. The table below shows the number of these offences from 1^st April 2020 to 31^st March 2025.

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

This Government is committed to protecting our rural communities, as well as tackling crimes that predominantly affect these communities, such as machinery theft. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors work closely with local police officers and officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit to tackle all types of rural crime.

The CPS provides legal guidance on Rural crime, which is available to all its prosecutors, to assist them in dealing with these cases. They also provide specialist training to ensure that its prosecutors have the expert knowledge needed to prosecute these crimes.

The CPS does not hold any central record of prosecutions for crimes recorded in either rural or urban areas. In the most recent twelve months (ending March 2025) the CPS completed prosecutions in respect of 449,573 defendants and to identify which of these prosecutions relate to criminal activity in rural or urban locations would require a manual review of each case and this would be at a disproportionate cost.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2025 - 2028 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, can work together to provide a dedicated and tailored support for rural communities and those who live and work within them. This strategy is a key step in our mission to deliver safer streets applies to all communities, urban and rural, across the country

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold any data which shows the number of defendants prosecuted, referred, acquitted, or convicted of offences created by s58-59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and s1 of the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. To establish number and outcomes of prosecutions where these offences were charged would require a manual review of case files and this would be at disproportionate cost.

Management information is available which shows the number of offences of charged by way of Sections 58 and 59 (administering drugs or using instruments to procure abortion / procuring drugs, instruments to cause abortion) and Section 1 (child destruction) in which a prosecution commenced. The table below shows the number of these offences from 1^st April 2015 to 31^st March 2025.

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

The offence of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is not within the scope of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme as it is not an indictable only offence and is not specified in statute as qualifying for review under the scheme.