Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing greater oversight in the Single Justice Procedure for (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable defendants.

The Government keeps the operation of the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) under regular review. The SJP continues to be an important route for dealing with minor, non-imprisonable offences, such as certain vehicle-related offences, where the defendant has either pleaded guilty or not responded to an SJP Notice.

However, the Government is concerned about the consistency in standards of private prosecutors, including those who use the Single Justice Procedure. We know the importance of ensuring that the SJP is accessible and fair to all defendants, including those who are elderly or vulnerable.

That is why we launched a consultation on the Oversight and Regulation of Private Prosecutors which included a chapter on the SJP. This looks at the operation of the SJP generally, encompassing minor vehicle related offences. The consultation closed on 8 May and work is ongoing to analyse the responses received. These findings will inform future work in this area, including considerations for additional safeguards and support where appropriate, and we will legislate if necessary.

The Government response to the consultation is expected to be published later this year.