Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Attorney General

Oral Answers to Questions

David Mowat Excerpts
Thursday 15th October 2015

(9 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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I am afraid that the hon. Lady is in error when she suggests that the number of ineffective trials is at an all-time high. As I have said, the number of cases being prosecuted continues to increase, and there is no question of prosecutions not being brought because of a lack of resources. Rape and serious sexual offences units are well resourced, and they will continue to be resourced by the CPS.

David Mowat Portrait David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)
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5. What steps he plans to take to protect child witnesses in sex abuse and other cases from intimidation during cross- examination.

Mark Menzies Portrait Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)
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11. What recent steps the Crown Prosecution Service has taken to improve its engagement with and support for vulnerable witnesses.

Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland)
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The defence case has to be put to all prosecution witnesses, but in order to ensure effective cross-examination, a mandatory advocacy course for all defence advocates is being developed and will include the cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses. Pre-recorded cross-examination has already been piloted successfully, and we are committed to a national roll-out.

David Mowat Portrait David Mowat
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In 2011, at Stafford Crown court, a victim of child abuse was cross-examined in a vicious and intimidatory way for 12 days by a team of seven barristers, during a session in which the judge was generally thought to have lost control of the courtroom. Such cross-examination is a massive disincentive for others to come forward. Four years later, may I ask what steps have been taken to prevent it from happening again?

Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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I well remember that case. The good news is that in the retrial matters were handled very differently, and the outcome was successful. However, intimidatory cross-examination should not happen. Judges have a duty to ensure that young witnesses are not cross-examined inappropriately. As I have said, a new advocacy course is being developed to ensure that that sort of abuse does not happen again.