Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for (a) domestic violence, (b) rape and (c) sexual assault; and what plans she has to ensure that victims of those crimes (i) receive appropriate support to help them navigate the criminal justice system and (ii) have faith in that system.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Tackling sexual violence and domestic abuse is a priority for this Government and the CPS is working hard to deliver justice and protect victims of these abhorrent crimes.
In July 2020, the CPS published its own rape strategy – ‘RASSO 2025’. This five-year strategy outlines a programme of work specifically to help reduce the disparity between reports and criminal justice outcomes. In addition, the CPS and police published a Joint National Action Plan for rape in January of this year to improve joint handling of rape investigations and prosecutions.
Also in January this year, the CPS published an ambitious 12-month domestic abuse programme to help narrow the disparity between reporting and criminal justice outcomes and to proactively address domestic abuse offending.
The CPS has continued to prioritise high harms crimes including cases of sexual violence and domestic abuse throughout the pandemic and as restrictions are eased via the introduction of an Interim Charging Protocol in April 2020.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many sentences imposed for causing death by dangerous driving his Department has considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme in each of the last two years; on how many occasions in each of the last two years he has referred such sentences to the Court of Appeal; and how many of those sentences have been extended by the Court of Appeal as the original sentence imposed fell outside the range of sentences that could reasonably have been imposed in the circumstances of the case.
Answered by Michael Ellis
In 2018 – 29 sentences for causing death by dangerous driving were referred to the Attorney General’s Office. Of those 4 were referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. 2 sentences were found to be unduly lenient and the sentences were increased. 2 were found NOT to be unduly lenient and the sentences remained the same.
In 2019 – 43 sentences for causing death by dangerous driving were referred to the Attorney General’s Office. Of those 2 were referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. Both sentences were found to be unduly lenient and the sentences were increased.
To date, in 2020 – 18 sentences for causing death by dangerous driving have been referred to the Attorney General’s Office. Of those 3 have been referred to the Court of Appeal, 1 was found to be unduly lenient and the sentence was increased, 1 was found NOT to be unduly lenient and the sentence remained the same, and 1 sentence is yet to be considered by the Court of Appeal.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many sentences imposed for causing death by dangerous driving his Department has considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme in each of the last five years; on how many occasions in each of the last five years he has referred such sentences to the Court of Appeal; and how many of those sentences have been extended by the Court of Appeal as the original sentence imposed fell outside the range of sentences that could reasonably have been imposed in the circumstances of the case.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The numbers of sentences for death by dangerous driving offences that have been successfully referred to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient in the last five years are as follows:
Year | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 to date |
Sentences referred to the Attorney General’s Office | 11 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 16 |
Sentences referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General’s Office | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3* |
Sentences increased by the Court of Appeal | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
* This figure includes the case of Robert Brown which was referred to the Court of Appeal in July 2018 and in which it has reserved judgement.