Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Criminal Justice Disclosure Practices

Thursday 24 September 2020 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial focus is on improving the disclosure process in criminal proceedings.
  • Public consultation and online engagement sessions were held with stakeholders.
  • Electronic disclosure is under scrutiny due to the increase in digital evidence.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Justice & Courts
Context

The issue of disclosure practices in the criminal justice system has been a subject of public consultation, aiming to address cultural changes needed for better performance.

Question

What steps she is taking to improve disclosure practices throughout the criminal justice system. I am concerned about improving the disclosure process in criminal proceedings and upholding public trust in the criminal justice system.

Answer from Suella Braverman

I am committed to improving the disclosure process in criminal proceedings and upholding public trust in the criminal justice system. Following a public consultation during which I hosted several online engagement sessions with defence practitioners, prosecutors and professionals from the victims sector, I will shortly be publishing my revised guidelines on disclosure. Those will address the need for a culture change and provide up-to-date and clear guidance on how all parties in the criminal justice system can improve disclosure performance.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about ensuring that electronic disclosure is undertaken fully and timely was not directly addressed.

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Q2 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Justice & Courts
Context

The issue of delayed justice affects victims, witnesses, and accused parties. There is a need for leadership focus to ensure that electronic disclosure is conducted properly.

Question

Can my right hon. and learned Friend assure me that the leadership and the departmental focus is in place to ensure that disclosure—particularly electronic disclosure—is undertaken in full and in a timely manner? Is this being measured? If so, are the targets currently being met?

Answer from Suella Braverman

There has been an unprecedented focus over the last few years on ensuring that investigators and prosecutors are properly equipped to deal with large volumes of electronic evidence. The proliferation in technology and digital devices has put pressure on the disclosure process and notably increased the resources required. That does present a challenge for our investigators and prosecutors. There is not a silver bullet that will solve it, but I can assure my hon. Friend that this issue is not being left to languish. The Crown Prosecution Service, in particular, is investing in tools and working closely with its policing colleagues to meet these challenges.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about whether electronic disclosure targets are currently met was not directly addressed.

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