§ 30. Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the disclosure rules in cases of(a) rape and (b) domestic violence. [85595]
§ Mr. BoatengThe aim of the disclosure provisions, which apply to all offences, is to ensure that all relevant unused prosecution material is disclosed to the defence. In response to concerns about their operation, the Director of Public Prosecutions has initiated a programme of work, focusing on the essential principles of disclosure, with a special emphasis on the duty of the prosecution to ensure a fair trial. In the light of this work Home Officials have been asked to consider what further needs to be done.
Changes to the Crown Court procedures for obtaining material from third parties came into force on 1 April 1999 with the aim of focusing applications on requests for relevant material. In addition the law on disclosure of a defendant's previous convictions is under review by the Law Commission.