Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question HL3576, what steps the Law Officers' Departments is taking to strengthen families.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The AGO supports the development of policy and legislation across Government where these are relevant to the responsibilities of the Law Officers, particularly in relation to the rule of law. In doing so, the AGO supports the cross-Government objective for strengthening families.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, to which legislation his Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The AGO has not been the sponsoring department for any legislation in this session.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what the procedure is for presenting a case to the Crown Prosecution Service independently of the police.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal prosecuting authority for England and Wales. The functions of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) as head of the CPS are set out in section 3 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.
The DPP may instigate a prosecution in any case investigated by the police or any of the Government departments or other agencies specifically set out in section 3 and in the exercise of any power specifically assigned to her by the Attorney General. There is no power to prosecute offences which have been investigated by any person or body not listed in section 3 or in an assignment, with the exception that the DPP may also institute criminal proceedings in any case where it appears to her to be appropriate to do so, including cases of particular importance or difficulty.
The use of this power is rare, and anyone approaching the CPS asking them to consider a case for prosecution under this section will usually be recommended to contact the police, as the CPS has no power to investigate a case.
In addition, section 6 of the same Act preserves the right of any individual to commence a private prosecution although the DPP may also take over such proceedings where it is appropriate.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, for what reasons no reference was made in the Government's proposals for the prosecution of ISIS made at the UN on 15 December 2016 to genocide committed against Christians whereas specific reference was made to other minority groups; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The campaign to bring Daesh to justice is about achieving justice for all of Daesh’s victims, in Iraq, Syria and across the world. This has been the case from the outset of the campaign and is what I said to the UN when I spoke on 15 December 2016.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many alleged human traffickers have been prosecuted by the CPS as a result of calls made to the NSPCC human trafficking and modern slavery helpline between July 2014 and June 2015.
Answered by Robert Buckland
In the last financial year the CPS successfully prosecuted 130 human trafficking cases. However, the CPS does not record how an allegation of human trafficking or modern slavery was brought to the attention of the investigative authorities.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what steps he has taken to promote pro bono work amongst members of the legal profession in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Attorney General and I chair two co-ordinating committees that bring together leading organisations dedicated to promoting the delivery of pro bono legal services by members of the legal profession, in conjunction with the voluntary sector in England and Wales and internationally.
Earlier this month, we took part in a range of events during National Pro Bono week, which is now regarded as an important annual national event and is supported by the legal professions, voluntary sector and law schools.
Over the past 12 months, we have supported a number of projects borne out of the co-ordinating committees, that we believe reinforce how important the pro bono movement is – not just domestically, but internationally as well.