Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Director of Public Prosecutions: Priorities

Thursday 1 February 2024 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Bob Blackman asked the Attorney General about discussions with the Director of Public Prosecutions on priorities for the Crown Prosecution Service.
  • Bob Blackman raised concerns over antisemitic demonstrations and their impact on parliamentary colleagues.
  • Kim Johnson inquired about fixing joint enterprise laws and ensuring no one is convicted for crimes they did not significantly contribute to.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

There are concerns about delays and antisemitism in public demonstrations.

Question

What recent discussions she has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on his priorities for the Crown Prosecution Service. His priorities align closely with those of the Government—namely, tackling delays, combating violence against women and girls, enhancing our work with victims and driving improvement across the system.

Answer from Victoria Prentis

I have regular meetings with the Director of Public Prosecutions. His priorities align closely with those of the Government—namely, tackling delays, combating violence against women and girls, enhancing our work with victims and driving improvement across the system.

Answered
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Q2 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts Community Security
Context

There are antisemitic demonstrations on the streets, and a Member of Parliament is leaving due to threats.

Question

It appears that almost every week on our streets we see hate-filled demonstrations with antisemitism rife, yet no action seems to be taken. The end result is that my hon. Friend the Member for Finchley and Golders Green (Mike Freer) has announced his decision to leave this place because of antisemitism and the threats against his person. Will my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney General take up the matter with the CPS, to ensure that that is the last such case and that antisemitism is prosecuted properly in the way it should be?

Answer from Victoria Prentis

My hon. Friend raises an important and serious matter. I reassure him that I have been working closely with the CPS, which in turn is extremely close to the police, to deal with these very significant issues. The CPS has been embedded in the control rooms during the most serious of the marches that have taken place. A large number of prosecutions have already started.

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Q3 Kim Johnson Lab Liverpool Riverside
Justice & Courts
Context

There are concerns about joint enterprise laws being used in a flawed manner.

Question

Does the Attorney General agree that a key priority for the CPS must be fixing the flawed way that joint enterprise laws are used, and does she agree that no one should ever be convicted of a crime that they made no significant contribution to?

Answer from Victoria Prentis

I know the hon. Lady is a long- time campaigner on joint enterprise, and I also know that the Lord Chancellor, my dear friend in this place, has also considered such matters very carefully.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Attorney General did not provide specific details or commitments about addressing flaws in joint enterprise laws.

How: Considering

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