Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on weight given to victim statements under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme.
Answered by Robert Buckland
Making a personal statement gives a victim of crime a voice in the criminal justice system. It enables them to explain the impact the crime has had on them in their own words so that it can be taken into account when an offender is sentenced.
The weight to be given to the impact a crime has had on a victim is a matter of discretion for the sentencing judge and will vary from case to case. It is one of several factors that the sentence judge will have to consider.
Where the case is one within the unduly lenient sentencing scheme and the a Law Officer considers that the sentencing judge has not given proper weight to the impact a crime has had on the victim, then they may decide to refer the case to the Court of Appeal as being potentially unduly lenient.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what progress he has made on improving disclosure in the criminal justice system.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Attorney General’s review of the disclosure system, published last month, sets out practical recommendations and a clear plan of action which will hold the leaders of the criminal justice system to account for delivering in their respective areas.
The Attorney General’s Office is working closely with key agencies who are already delivering changes and improvements to both the system and culture in their respective organisations.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on the prosecution of knife crime in different parts of the UK.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Director of Public Prosecutions regularly meets with her counterpart in Northern Ireland to discuss common issues. The Attorney General will be travelling to Northern Ireland during October to meet with the Northern Ireland Attorney General.
The Government has a published the Serious Violence Strategy to take action to address serious violence including the recent increases in knife crime. The CPS is working with its cross-Government partners to deliver the Strategy, and also supports the police enforcement to tackle knife crime through its Operation Sceptre.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking with regional police forces to help secure convictions.
Answered by Robert Buckland
In England and Wales the CPS decides which cases should be prosecuted, and then prepares and presents them at court. Decisions are made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors which requires both an evidential and public interest test to be met before a prosecution can proceed.
The CPS will advise the police and other investigators about possible lines of inquiry and evidential requirements, and assist with pre-charge procedures. The CPS and police hold joint Prosecution Team Performance Meetings where performance, including conviction rates, are discussed and monitored. Local plans are put in place, where appropriate, to improve the outcomes of cases that are charged and prosecuted.
In large-scale investigations, the prosecutor may be asked to advise on the overall investigation strategy, to assist the police and other investigators to enable them to complete the investigation within a reasonable period of time and to build the most effective prosecution case. However, prosecutors cannot direct the police or other investigators.