Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Domestic Violence: Prosecutions

Thursday 13 February 2020 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 4 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Attorney General has discussed with the Director of Public Prosecutions the effectiveness of the CPS in prosecuting domestic violence cases.
  • The Solicitor General stated that action is being taken and that CPS policy on charging for domestic abuse cases has not changed.
  • The Solicitor General confirmed that decisions are made based on public interest, not budgetary pressures, and noted that the Treasury has provided an additional 85 million to the CPS.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Liz Twist Lab Wallasey
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

Domestic abuse offences have long-lasting traumatic effects on victims. The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to prosecuting these crimes and supporting victims.

Question

What recent discussions has the Attorney General had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the effectiveness of the CPS in prosecuting cases involving domestic violence? In 2019, nearly three quarters of a million domestic abuse-related cases were recorded—a rise of almost a quarter on the previous year. What is being done to ensure that many more cases are prosecuted?

Answer from The Solicitor General (Michael Ellis)

Domestic abuse offences are horrific crimes that can have long-lasting traumatic effects on victims. The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to prosecuting these crimes and ensuring victims are supported. In 2007-08, offences involving violence against women and girls accounted for 7.1% of CPS case load. The figure is now 17%. However, I very much accept that more work needs to be done. There has been a rise of over 8% in prosecutions for crimes of violence against women and girls, and the conviction rate has risen—it is now 78.2%. However, I agree that more needs to be done, and it will.

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Q2 Nick Thomas-Symonds Lab Torfaen
Justice & Courts
Context

The number of domestic abuse incidents and crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales increased, but there was a reduction in the number of suspects charged and police referrals to the CPS.

Question

What are the Government going to do about the reduction in police referrals to the CPS for domestic abuse cases? The Solicitor General talks about there being a cause for concern and about reviews, but surely given the scale of the problem, we need action now.

Answer from The Solicitor General (Michael Ellis)

Action is being taken now. CPS policy on charging these matters, including on the charging of rape, has not changed. The code test has not changed; it still applies to all cases, no matter how minor, no matter how serious. Prosecutors do not apply a bookmaker's test on this. They do not try to second-guess the jury. Where there is sufficient evidence to prosecute, they do, and they will.

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Q3 Mike Wood Con Walsall South
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

A constituent was held captive by her former partner but found the time waiting for her abuser's trial almost as traumatic.

Question

Does the Solicitor General agree that if we are to expect the survivors of domestic abuse and violence to have the bravery to come forward, they need to be confident that they will get the support they need at this horrific time?

Answer from The Solicitor General (Michael Ellis)

Yes, it is very important that they have the maximum support. Delay is always undesirable. In an inspection into domestic abuse cases published only a few weeks ago, inspectors noted that CPS prosecutors had applied the code correctly in 100% of cases they examined.

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Q4 Kirsten Oswald SNP West Tyrone
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The criminal justice joint inspection report noted that the domestic abuse caseload for both the CPS and police has increased by 88% against a backdrop of a 25% reduction in police and CPS funding.

Question

Will the Solicitor General pursue the Chancellor for the resources necessary so that decisions are made according to public interest, rather than budgetary pressures?

Answer from The Solicitor General (Michael Ellis)

These decisions are always made according to public interest and not to budgetary pressures. The Treasury has already supplied £85 million more to the CPS, which is a very welcome sum and will be well spent.

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