Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Convictions for Joint Enterprise: Racial Disparities

Tuesday 10 January 2023 · 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

  • Kate Osamor raised concerns about racial disparities in joint enterprise convictions, suggesting the doctrine is applied in a racist manner.
  • The Government have implemented recommendations from the Lammy review and are willing to discuss specific issues in more depth.
  • Data on the ethnicity of defendants prosecuted and convicted under joint enterprise is collected, showing disproportionate impact on ethnic minority groups.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Crime & Law Enforcement Standards & Ethics
Context

Research by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies suggests that joint enterprise is applied in a racially discriminatory manner, leading to numerous miscarriages of justice. This issue disproportionately affects ethnic minority communities, particularly young black men.

Question

I am concerned about racial disparities in joint enterprise convictions as research indicates this doctrine is often applied in a racist way, causing many miscarriages of justice. Assessing why it disproportionately targets ethnic minorities, especially young black men, is only the first step; what action is being taken to address these historical wrongs and prevent future injustices?

Answer from Mike Freer

The Government have implemented many recommendations from the Lammy review. I would like to sit down with the hon. Member to discuss specific issues in more depth rather than addressing them here.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions and timelines for rectifying past injustices due to joint enterprise convictions were not provided

How: Would Like To Sit Down With The Hon. Member

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Q2 Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Crime & Law Enforcement Standards & Ethics
Context

Research by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies suggests that joint enterprise is applied in a racially discriminatory manner, leading to numerous miscarriages of justice. This issue disproportionately affects ethnic minority communities, particularly young black men.

Question

I am concerned about racial disparities in joint enterprise convictions as research indicates this doctrine is often applied in a racist way, causing many miscarriages of justice. Assessing why it disproportionately targets ethnic minorities, especially young black men, is only the first step; what action is being taken to address these historical wrongs and prevent future injustices?

Answer from Mike Freer

The Government recognise that convictions based on joint enterprise appear to affect ethnic minority groups disproportionately. The Crown Prosecution Service can only apply the law when making charging decisions. Data is collected on the ethnicity of defendants who are prosecuted and convicted, but not specifically for joint enterprise cases. We are considering whether such data could be collected as part of the common platform programme.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions and timelines for rectifying past injustices due to joint enterprise convictions were not provided

How: We Are Considering Whether Such Data Could Be Collected

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