Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking under the (a) UK statutory and (b) international legal framework to improve rates of prosecution for British Citizens for participation in (i) acts of genocide and (b) war crimes committed abroad.

On 21 September 2017, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to adopt UK-proposed Daesh Accountability Resolution 2379, which requests the UN Secretary General to establish an Investigative Team headed by a Special Adviser to collect, preserve and store evidence of Daesh crimes, beginning in Iraq.

The UK will work alongside the UN, Government of Iraq and other partners to implement Resolution 2379, ensuring that everything possible is done to hold Daesh to account for their crimes. This could potentially include the Team sharing evidence of crimes committed by British citizens in Iraq with UK authorities.

Within the CPS, all allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are dealt with by a team of specially trained prosecutors in the Counter Terrorism Division (CTD). CTD work closely with the war crimes team of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) under well established guidelines, details of which can be found here http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/agencies/war_crimes.html#b

Each case investigated by the police which is referred to the CPS is considered on its own merits. A charging decision is then made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.