Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what procedures are in place for informing victims of the reasons for delays in criminal matters relevant to their case being listed for court.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The joint police/Crown Prosecution Service Witness Care Units are responsible for updating victims on the progress of their case. This includes informing victims of hearing outcomes, and, in any case which cannot be listed within the usual timescales, providing them, where known, with relevant information about why the delay has occurred.
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (the Victims’ Code) sets out the services to be provided to victims of crime. Under the Victims’ Code, victims are entitled to be informed of the date, location and outcome of any criminal court hearings in the case by their Witness Care Unit or by the police where they act as a single point of contact for victims. This information must be provided within 1 working day of the Witness Care Unit receiving it from the court. Where victims are due to attend court as a witness they are entitled wherever possible, to receive an explanation from the Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor or representative if there is a delay in proceedings on the day and how long the wait is likely to be.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, in how many cases since the introduction of the Victims' Right to Review Scheme have the Crown Prosecution Service changed a decision following a victim's request for a review.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)’s Victims’ Right to Review scheme came into effect on 5 June 2013. Between the date the scheme commenced and 31 December 2014, the CPS has reviewed 2,423 appeals of which 315 (13.0%) were upheld.
The number of decisions overturned represents a very small fraction of all the decisions made by CPS lawyers. During the period from 1 June 2013 to 31 December 2014, the CPS finalised 198,786 cases with a qualifying decision. This means that approximately 0.16% of cases that would qualify under the scheme resulted in an upheld Appeal.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many victims of crime have asked the Crown Prosecution Service to review a decision not to bring charges or to terminate proceedings since the introduction of the Victims' Right to Review Scheme.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)’s Victims’ Right to Review scheme came into effect on 5 June 2013. Between the date the scheme commenced and 31 December 2014, the CPS has reviewed 2,423 appeals of which 315 (13.0%) were upheld.
The number of decisions overturned represents a very small fraction of all the decisions made by CPS lawyers. During the period from 1 June 2013 to 31 December 2014, the CPS finalised 198,786 cases with a qualifying decision. This means that approximately 0.16% of cases that would qualify under the scheme resulted in an upheld Appeal.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions for summary offences were discontinued as a consequence of delay in obtaining data from (a) social media companies and (b) the forensic examination of computers or mobile phones in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain a central record of prosecutions dropped as a result of delays in receiving data from social media companies or from the forensic examination of computers or mobile phones. Obtaining this information would require a manual review of individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged to date under sections (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 who could not have been charged using sections (i) 2 and (ii) 4.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a separate record of the number of people charged and prosecuted for stalking under sections (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 who could not have been charged for harassment using sections (i) 2 and (ii) 4.
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 does not provide a definitive list of behaviors that would allow for a prosecution for either harassment or stalking and CPS prosecutors determine the most appropriate charges in any given prosecution based on the facts of the case.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, in respect of how many alleged offences under section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 proceedings are currently active in magistrates' and Crown courts in England and Wales.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of people charged and prosecuted, however it is not possible to identify the numbers of individuals prosecuted for offences charged under specific pieces of legislation.
Figures are only held for the number of offences charged under sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in cases finalised by the CPS. It is not possible to identify the number of currently active proceedings in the courts involving charges under any specific pieces of legislation.
The CPS maintains a central record of the number of offences charged, not defendants prosecuted, under sections 2A and 4A of the 1997 Act. A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences.
The attached tables detail the number of offences charged under S.4A(1)(a)(b)(i) and S.4A(1)(a)(b)(ii) by each police force in England and Wales, and the number of offences charged under 2A(1) of the 1997 Act by each police force in England and Wales.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many Crown Prosecution lawyers have been trained to deal with offences of stalking under sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in each Crown Prosecution Service area; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has developed two online e-Learning courses on all types of stalking. The “Cyber Crime: Cyber Stalking” course includes cyber stalking, non-cyber stalking and harassment. The “Stalking and Harassment” course (which was released in April 2014) deals specifically with stalking and harassment offences. The CPS maintains a central record of the number of prosecutors who have been trained to deal with stalking and harassment offences by way of the e-Learning courses.
The data covers the period 1 November 2012 (the month when the Cyber Stalking e-Learning module was revised to include the new stalking offences) to 21 October 2014 and is in relation to solicitors and barristers with practising certificates. The data includes only those lawyers who have completed all elements of either the Cyber Stalking or Stalking and harassment e-Learning courses.
The numbers of staff who have completed the training are lower than those given in answers to previous Parliamentary Questions as a result of staff moves, career breaks and departures in the wider context of a reducing staff headcount. The CPS continues to train staff to deal with stalking and harassment offences on an ongoing basis.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been (a) charged and (b) prosecuted under sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of people charged and prosecuted, however it is not possible to identify the numbers of individuals prosecuted for offences charged under specific pieces of legislation.
Figures are only held for the number of offences charged under sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in cases finalised by the CPS. It is not possible to identify the number of currently active proceedings in the courts involving charges under any specific pieces of legislation.
The CPS maintains a central record of the number of offences charged, not defendants prosecuted, under sections 2A and 4A of the 1997 Act. A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences.
The attached tables detail the number of offences charged under S.4A(1)(a)(b)(i) and S.4A(1)(a)(b)(ii) by each police force in England and Wales, and the number of offences charged under 2A(1) of the 1997 Act by each police force in England and Wales.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged under (a) section 2A and (b) section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in each police force in England and Wales since those sections came into force.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of people charged and prosecuted, however it is not possible to identify the numbers of individuals prosecuted for offences charged under specific pieces of legislation.
Figures are only held for the number of offences charged under sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in cases finalised by the CPS. It is not possible to identify the number of currently active proceedings in the courts involving charges under any specific pieces of legislation.
The CPS maintains a central record of the number of offences charged, not defendants prosecuted, under sections 2A and 4A of the 1997 Act. A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences.
The attached tables detail the number of offences charged under S.4A(1)(a)(b)(i) and S.4A(1)(a)(b)(ii) by each police force in England and Wales, and the number of offences charged under 2A(1) of the 1997 Act by each police force in England and Wales.
Asked by: Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many Crown prosecution lawyers have been trained to deal with offences of stalking under sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, in each Crown Prosecution Service area; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)has developed two online e-Learning courses on all types of stalking. The “Cyber Crime: Cyber Stalking” course includes cyber stalking, non-cyber stalking and harassment. The “Stalking and Harassment” course (which was released in April 2014) deals specifically with stalking and harassment offences, with emphasis on building a strong case, working closely with the police, appropriate charge selection, and engaging with victims throughout the legal process. The CPS maintains a central record of the number of prosecutors who have been trained to deal with stalking and harassment offences by way of the e-Learning courses.
The following data was extracted from the CPS HR Database and the online Prosecution College Database on 11 June 2014. The data is based on those barristers or solicitors who held a practising certificate in the relevant period and were employed by the CPS on 11 June 2014. The data covers the period 1 November 2012 (the month when the Cyber Stalking e-Learning module was revised to include the new stalking offences) to 11 June 2014.The data includes only those lawyers who have completed either the Cyber Stalking or Stalking and harassment e-Learning courses, including the evaluation modules, as the database records e-Learning based on completion of all elements of the course.
CPS Cyber Stalking and CPS Stalking & Harassment Completions: Lawyers by CPS Area:
Group | Area | Completions |
Casework Divisions |
| 99 |
Head Quarters |
| 15 |
National Areas | CPS Direct | 268 |
| East Midlands | 91 |
| East of England | 81 |
| London | 195 |
| Merseyside & Cheshire | 36 |
| North East | 72 |
| North West | 121 |
| South East | 50 |
| South West | 41 |
| Thames & Chiltern | 115 |
| Wales / Cymru | 65 |
| Wessex | 28 |
| West Midlands | 55 |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | 108 |
| POCU | 7 |
Grand Total |
| 1,447 |