§ Mr. John MorrisTo ask the Attorney-General if he will now publish the definition of the public interest used by the Crown Prosecution Service.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe general principles applied by the Crown Prosecution Service in respect of the public interest are set out in the code for Crown prosecutors. The code is published and laid before Parliament each year in the annual report of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The annual report for 1992–93 was published on 13 July 1993.
§ Mr. John MorrisTo ask the Attorney-General what is the lowest grade of officer in the Crown Prosecution Service authorised to discontinue cases on the grounds of public interest.
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§ The Attorney-GeneralThe power under section 23 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 to discontinue proceedings may, by virtue of section 1(6) of the Act, be exercised by any Crown prosecutor subject to any directions given by the director. Those with management responsibilities in the service are responsible for ensuring that cases are assigned to lawyers having both the experience and authority necessary to take decisions to continue or terminate proceedings. The level of authority will depend upon the nature, seriousness or complexity of the case.
§ Mr. John MorrisTo ask the Attorney-General what percentage of cases the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued on grounds of public interest in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many defendants were neither very elderly, frail nor suffering from some injury.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Crown Prosecution Service does not record centrally the proportion of cases that are discontinued on public interest grounds as opposed to evidential grounds, nor therefore is any information available about whether the defendants were very elderly, frail or suffering from injury. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.