§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Attorney-General if he will include in the revised code for the Crown prosecutors and in the statement on the treatment of victims and witnesses by the Crown Prosecution Service a section on notification to or consultation with victims or their families where discontinuance of a serious case is contemplated.
§ The Attorney-GeneralIn general, it is the responsibility of the police to keep victims or their families informed of decisions by which they are affected. This approach is set out in the victims charter and was supported by the Royal Commission on criminal justice which reported last year. If a case is to be discontinued, the CPS will, wherever practicable, consult the police in advance. The CPS seeks to ensure that the police are clear about the reasons for any proposed discontinuance so that information can be passed on to the victim and their respective interests taken into account when deciding whether proceedings would be in the public interest.
A draft of the revised code for Crown prosecutors is currently being considered by interested parties on the criminal justice system including victim support. The director is hoping to publish in the early summer.
The CPS keeps under review its statement on the treatment of victims and witnesses. There will be an opportunity to consider whether it should contain information about the termination of cases when the statement is next revised. The suggestion put forward by my hon. Friend has been drawn to the attention of the director.