House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Update: Publication of the Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure and the Criminal Procedure Investigations Act 1996 Code of Practice
17 December 2020 · Attorney General
Proposed by Suella Braverman Con Fareham and Waterlooville
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- The Attorney General's Guidelines on Disclosure and the Criminal Procedure Investigations Act 1996 Code of Practice have been revised and published.
- The updates aim to improve the handling of unused material in criminal cases and address challenges like cultural change and earlier disclosure performance.
- The revised Guidelines and Code of Practice will be effective from December 31, 2020.
Issue summary
The statement provides an update on the publication of revised Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure and the Criminal Procedure Investigations Act (CPIA) Code of Practice to improve the criminal justice system's handling of unused material in cases.
Action requested
The updated Guidelines and the CPIA Code of Practice will be effective from December 31, 2020, addressing challenges such as cultural change, earlier disclosure performance, technology use, and privacy considerations. The Government aims to encourage improvements in the disclosure process and increase public confidence in the criminal justice system.
Key facts
- The Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure were updated following a Review of the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Disclosure in the Criminal Justice System published in November 2018.
- The changes address cultural change, earlier performance of disclosure obligations, use of technology, and balancing privacy with fair trial rights.
- Both the Guidelines and CPIA Code of Practice will be effective from December 31, 2020.