Robert Courts: The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) receives its human resources shared service from the Government Legal Department (GLD). The GLD are signed up as Disability Confident and have progressed through the levels, achieving Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) status. Please note that, excluding the GLD, I am responding on behalf of the AGO only, and not the departments superintended by myself...
Robert Courts: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not have a formal definition for ‘violent crime’, but it does hold management information on its Case Management System showing the number of defendants allocated the Principal Offence Categories of either Homicide or Offences Against the Person at completion of prosecution. The Principal Offence Category indicates the most serious offence with...
Robert Courts: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on its Case Management System showing the number of defendants allocated the Principal Offence Category of Homicide at completion of prosecution. Please note that homicide consists of a range of offences, including, among others: MurderAttempted murderConspiring or soliciting to commit murderManslaughter (corporate, gross...
Robert Courts: The Immigration Act 1971 (the Act) sets out offences for illegal entry, illegal working, and assisting unlawful immigration into the United Kingdom. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information showing the number of offences charged by way of section 24 (illegal entry/arrival), section 25 (assisting unlawful immigration to member State or the UK), section 25A (helping an...
Robert Courts: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on its Case Management System showing the number of defendants allocated the Principal Offence Category of Burglary at completion of prosecution. The Principal Offence Category indicates the most serious offence with which a defendant is charged. The table below shows the number of completed prosecutions and convictions for...
Robert Courts: The table below shows the number of completed prosecutions and convictions for all crimes prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from the start of January 2005 to the end of September 2015. The data provided in the table is in financial quarters and has been drawn from the CPS’ Case Management System. ‘Total completed prosecutions’ refer to the conclusion of a prosecution...
Robert Courts: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a Case Management System (CMS) which shows the number of defendants where a flag for rape has been added. This flag is applied at the onset of any case referred by the police to the CPS for a charge of rape and remains in place even if the charge is not proceeded with, is amended, or dropped. If a case is referred by the police for a charge other...
Robert Courts: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on its Case Management System showing the number of defendants allocated the Principal Offence Category of Sexual Offences at completion of prosecution. The Principal Offence Category indicates the most serious offence with which a defendant is charged. The table below shows the number of completed prosecutions and convictions...
Robert Courts: It would not be possible to determine the number of cases involving the illegal importation of Russian oil referred by HM Revenue & Customs to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) without an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Robert Courts: Close and collaborative work across the criminal justice system is key to securing justice for victims, holding offenders to account and keeping the public safe. The police and the CPS have invested heavily in new ways of working, including through the national operating model for rape prosecutions, with the result that the police and the CPS work more closely together at an earlier stage in...
Robert Courts: I thank my hon. Friend for raising this extremely pertinent point. She is right to emphasise the importance of early co-operation between the police and the CPS. At a visit last month to Charing Cross police station I considered precisely that point. There is a buddy system there, with CPS lawyers working with police officers, which is improving case file quality. We are actively exploring...
Robert Courts: I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the Attorney General keeps all these matters under close review, and will ensure that any legal advice is properly obtained and acted upon.
Robert Courts: The CPS takes the issue of keeping women and children safe online extremely seriously. I am pleased to report that the CPS has delivered the first conviction for cyber-flashing within weeks of the new offence becoming law. This is an important milestone for protecting women and girls online, and demonstrates how the Government have worked to put perpetrators behind bars.
Robert Courts: My hon. Friend is quite right to draw attention to the online fraud charter—a world first—which sits under the Online Safety Act 2023. Twelve of the biggest tech companies are working together to reduce fraud on their platforms. The signatories are agreeing to undertake certain measures within six months, such as blocking, reporting and take-downs, to ensure that the vulnerable—such as...
Robert Courts: Non-threatening peaceful protest is fundamental, but those rights are not absolute and they must be balanced with the rights and freedom of others. The CPS works closely with the police to ensure that those who commit offences during protests are brought to justice and our streets are kept safe. Indeed, just last month the CPS successfully prosecuted a protester under the Terrorism Act 2000...
Robert Courts: I thank my hon. Friend for raising this extremely pertinent and concerning point. The police already have a full suite of powers under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986—as well as some relating to criminal damage, the offence to which he referred. To ensure that they act, the Government have, however, reinforced those powers under the Public Order Act 2023. The Crown Prosecution...
Robert Courts: Last year, the Government published a new fraud strategy to combat fraud and economic crime, and the Corporate Transparency Act 2023 received Royal Assent. Last month, the Serious Fraud Office published its strategy for the next five years, which is focused on tech, intelligence gathering and enforcement. In fact, I am pleased to report to the House that on Friday the SFO secured the...
Robert Courts: The hon. Member is absolutely right. This is a particularly pernicious crime. It often targets the vulnerable and, sadly, in an interconnected and digital world, it is likely to increase. We will look very closely at all such matters. A number of joint strategies are shared between agencies in any event, but I am certainly very happy to look at her suggestion.
Robert Courts: The hon. Member quite rightly raises a matter of particular concern to him, and indeed to the whole House. His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs remains committed to covid-19 scheme compliance, and will continue to prioritise the most serious cases of abuse. Specifically on prevention and recoveries, up to 30 September 2023, HMRC had prevented the payment, or recovered the overpayment, of over...
Robert Courts: Expenditure on consultancy by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is routinely published in their annual accounts, which are also laid before the House of Commons annually. These can be accessed on the SFO’s website at Annual reports and accounts - Serious Fraud Office (sfo.gov.uk) and the CPS’ website at Annual reports, business plans and strategies | The...
