Submitted by Mark Anthony Sales on Wednesday 17th January 2024
Published on Friday 2nd February 2024
Current status: Open
Open until: Friday 2nd August 2024
Current Signatures: 39
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Relevant Departments
Prevent public bodies from conducting private prosecutions
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.
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.
If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.
18.216.186.164 Fri, 03 May 2024 21:44:00 +0100