Key Facts

• LED lighting is set to cool white rather than warm white.
• The acoustics in the neo-gothic Committee rooms are deemed unsuitable for modern use.
• Sir Charles Walker heads the Administration Committee which meets every Monday.
• The new clause amends sections 11(1), 18(1), 32(1), 36(1) and 40(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
• It removes the requirement that the perpetrator knows or believes that the victim is aware they are engaging in sexual activity.
• The amendment retains a link between the presence of a child or person with mental disorder and the perpetrator’s sexual gratification to avoid over-criminalisation.
• The new clause would apply where a person has been found guilty of a serious sexual offence involving or relating to a child.
• A ceases to have parental responsibility for all affected children until an application by the individual is approved by the family court.
• There are existing cases where courts have removed parental responsibility from fathers who were imprisoned for sexual abuse and violent attacks on their families.
• The new clause aims to automatically suspend parental responsibility where a parent is convicted of serious sexual offences against children.
• Jade’s law was introduced in the Victims and Prisoners Bill to automatically suspend parental responsibility for parents convicted of murder or manslaughter of the other parent.
• Lord Meston, a family court judge, expressed that the Crown Court may not have sufficient information to make automatic prohibitions in cases involving serious offences.
• The proposed legislation aims to amend the Sexual Offences Act 2003 by adding new section 70A.
• New section 70A criminalizes acts of physical sexual interference with a dead person, including touching or causing contact between an item/substance and the corpse.
• A conviction under this amendment would result in imprisonment for up to 10 years.
• David Fuller was convicted in 2021 for historic murder and sexually assaulting corpses.
• There were more than 100 female victims ranging from ages nine to 100.
• Current law only applies to penetrative assault, not non-penetrative sexual assaults on corpses.
• The new clause clarifies the definition of joint enterprise or secondary liability.
• Black people are 16 times more likely than white people to be prosecuted under joint enterprise laws, according to recent CPS data.
• The Joint Enterprise (Significant Contribution) Bill will have a Second Reading debate on Friday 2 February.
• The Supreme Court's 2016 ruling on R v. Jogee restored proper intentions for joint enterprise convictions.
• Centre for Crime and Justice Studies research indicates limited impact of legal changes post-Jogee.
• Dr Felicity Gerry KC highlighted several real-life cases where individuals were convicted despite no significant contribution to crimes.
• The new clause mirrors the Joint Enterprise (Significant Contribution) Bill set for Second Reading on February 2nd.
• Over half of those involved in joint enterprise cases were under 25, with black defendants comprising 30% compared to 4% of the general population.
• Black people are 16 times more likely than white people to be prosecuted for homicide or attempted homicide under joint enterprise laws.
• The CPS data shows 680 defendants in 190 cases across six CPS areas over a six-month period.
• New clause 16 would amend section 8 of the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861.
• R v. Jogee changed common-law jurisprudence on joint enterprise in 2016.
• CPS conducted a pilot review concluding in September to assess joint enterprise cases.
• A further panel by CPS focusing on gang association evidence is scheduled for February 2nd.
• The amendment would change section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
• It proposes reducing the time limit for reporting an accident from twenty-four hours to two hours and making non-compliance a criminal offense.
• Another proposal extends driving offenses covered by sections of the act to private places adjacent to roads.
• Every 16 minutes, someone is killed or seriously injured on UK roads.
• In 2022, there were approximately 31,000 fatalities and serious injuries out of a total of about 135,000 road casualties annually.
• About 85 people are killed or seriously injured in each constituency yearly.
• Up to 17,000 drivers leave the scene after collisions, according to Motor Insurers’ Bureau figures.
• The Road Traffic Act 1988 currently requires vehicles to start their journey on public roads for prosecution.
• Pearl Melody Black was tragically killed by an unoccupied vehicle rolling from private land onto a highway in Merthyr Tydfil, August 2017.
• A previous ten-minute rule Bill fell due to lack of parliamentary time.
• The new clause would create a very high penalty without necessarily establishing a causal connection between leaving the scene and injury.
• There are existing offences such as causing death by dangerous driving which carry severe penalties.
• Reducing reporting time to two hours could be onerous, especially in remote areas with no nearby police stations.
• Cuckooing involves criminals taking over a vulnerable person's home for criminal activities such as drug dealing, sex work facilitation, or financial abuse.
• Vulnerable people are often targeted and exploited to facilitate long-term criminal operations through the use of their property.
• The Police Superintendents’ Association supports the new clause and emphasizes the need for clear evidence thresholds and robust wording around offences.
• Cuckooing is not defined in legislation.
• Only seven police forces recorded cases of cuckooing in November 2023.
• The Government’s “Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan” from 2023 intended to target cuckooing but has since decided against creating a new offence.
• The Centre for Social Justice proposed adding an amendment to the Modern Slavery Act making it an offence to occupy or exercise control over another person’s home without their consent.
• The adjournment was ordered at 11:25 am.
• The Committee will reconvene later that day.