Prevent public bodies from conducting private prosecutions

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Prevent public bodies from conducting private prosecutions

Petition Details

Amend section 3(2) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (duties of the DPP) to include a duty to take over the conduct of any criminal proceedings instituted in England and Wales by any public body.

Additional Information

This would bring the conduct of all prosecutions by public bodies under the remit of the CPS.

The Post Office Scandal has laid bare the dangers that exist in allowing different bodies to prosecute offences, which we believe presents an unacceptable risk of miscarriages of justice.

Firstly, these bodies act as both the investigator and the prosecutor. The Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure highlighted the problem of the police performing both of these roles prior to the formation of the CPS.

Secondly, having so many different bodies prosecuting inevitably leads to inconsistency in the standards of prosecutions.

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