§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware of any successful criminal prosecutions for crimes committed more than 50 years before the commencement of proceedings, and if so, how many.
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Mackay of Clashfern)Such prosecutions have only taken place in modern times in relation to war crimes. The precise time lapse is not readily available but war crimes from the Second World War are understood to have been prosecuted to conviction in Germany and France.