HC Deb 24 July 2002 vol 389 cc1461-2W
Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which crimes will be affected by the new double jeopardy proposal. [72446]

Mr. Hilary Benn

The proposal contained in the White Paper, Justice for All, published on 17 July 2002 would allow the Court of Appeal to quash an acquittal only where there is compelling new evidence of an acquitted defendant's guilt, and following the approval of the Director of Public Prosecutions for that defendant to be re-investigated and for an application subsequently to be submitted to the Court of Appeal.

This would apply to a limited range of very serious offences such as murder, rape, manslaughter and armed robbery. We will publish our detailed legislative proposals in due course.