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928754

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2018
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Legal Profession: Voluntary Work
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how he plans to encourage practising lawyers to volunteer pro bono hours for Citizens Advice Bureaux in their local communities.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	156426
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2018 answer text <p>As the Government's pro bono champions, the Attorney and I chair the pro bono panel and committee to bring together key players to steer and coordinate the overall work in this area. The panel and committee feature members from across the legal community, including Citizens Advice.</p><p>Each year the Attorney and I take part in National Pro Bono week. We attend and support pro bono events across the country, to encourage the excellent work being done by the pro bono community. This year Global Pro Bono Week is taking place 29<sup>th</sup> October – 2<sup>nd</sup> November, and will involve many organisations across the legal community including members of our pro bono panel and committee like Citizens Advice.</p><p>In the past year over 1,000 lawyers provided pro bono help through local Citizens Advice offices and I will continue to encourage more lawyers to do this.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 24/07/2018 13:52:11 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland previous answer version 68157 answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1675047

	registered interest
	date	04/12/2023
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Theft: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what discussions she has had with the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland on increasing conviction rates for (a) theft and (b) burglary.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	5021
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2023 answer text <p>The Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland (PPSNI) is entirely independent and is not superintended by the Attorney General.</p><p>The Attorney General, as Advocate General for Northern Ireland, has limited statutory functions in relation to the PPSNI and the performance of the PPSNI does not fall within this remit.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 11/12/2023 16:58:45 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1680298

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Offences against Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what assessment she has made of the impact of the unduly lenient sentencing scheme on levels of paedophile crime.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	8427
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2024 answer text <p>The Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme in England and Wales permits the Court of Appeal to review a sentence, correct a sentencing error, and give guidance on how to approach some of the most serious and complex sentencing exercises.</p><p>The Court of Appeal will only grant permission to refer a sentence in exceptional circumstances: for example, if the judge has passed a sentence that falls outside the range of sentences which a judge, applying their mind to all the relevant factors before them, could properly consider appropriate, or if the judge has made some gross error in law.</p><p>The scheme is kept under constant review. In November 2019, 14 new offences were added to the scheme. These included offences relating to indecent images of children.</p><p>In 2022, the Law Officers referred 139 cases to the Court of Appeal. The Court granted leave to refer in 105 (75%) cases and the sentence was increased in 95 (68%) cases. Of the 95 cases in which the sentence was increased, 23 (24%) were sentences for child sex offences.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 15/01/2024 11:36:30 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1685792

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Offences against Children: Convictions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many convictions for paedophilia were referred to her Department under the unduly lenient sentence scheme in 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	11992
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2024 answer text <p>The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) receives requests to refer sentences under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to the Court of Appeal and publishes annual reports on the outcomes of the requests which it refers.</p><p>The annual report for 2023 has not yet been published. The latest annual report, for the year 2022, was published on 17 October 2023 (see <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unduly-lenient-sentence-annual-case-outcomes-data" target="_blank">Unduly lenient sentence annual case outcomes data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>).</p><p>The AGO also releases weekly statistics of requests to refer sentences. Weekly statistics for 2023, including requests to refer sentences for offences involving paedophilia (such as indecent images of a child, rape of a child under 13, and sexual assault of a child under 13) can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/outcome-of-unduly-lenient-sentence-referrals" target="_blank">Outcome of unduly lenient sentence referrals - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 07/02/2024 15:54:24 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1024819

	registered interest
	date	13/12/2018
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings: Disclosure of Information
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what progress he has made on improving disclosure in the criminal justice system.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	202145
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>The Attorney General’s review of the disclosure system, published last month, sets out practical recommendations and a clear plan of action which will hold the leaders of the criminal justice system to account for delivering in their respective areas.</p><p> </p><p>The Attorney General’s Office is working closely with key agencies who are already delivering changes and improvements to both the system and culture in their respective organisations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 20/12/2018 12:03:01 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1083604

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Sentencing: Appeals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on weight given to victim statements under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	229766
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>Making a personal statement gives a victim of crime a voice in the criminal justice system. It enables them to explain the impact the crime has had on them in their own words so that it can be taken into account when an offender is sentenced.</p><p>The weight to be given to the impact a crime has had on a victim is a matter of discretion for the sentencing judge and will vary from case to case. It is one of several factors that the sentence judge will have to consider.</p><p>Where the case is one within the unduly lenient sentencing scheme and the a Law Officer considers that the sentencing judge has not given proper weight to the impact a crime has had on the victim, then they may decide to refer the case to the Court of Appeal as being potentially unduly lenient.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 14/03/2019 17:10:09 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

969266

	registered interest
	date	06/09/2018
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Convictions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking with regional police forces to help secure convictions.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	171511
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2018 answer text <p>In England and Wales the CPS decides which cases should be prosecuted, and then prepares and presents them at court. Decisions are made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors which requires both an evidential and public interest test to be met before a prosecution can proceed.</p><p>The CPS will advise the police and other investigators about possible lines of inquiry and evidential requirements, and assist with pre-charge procedures. The CPS and police hold joint Prosecution Team Performance Meetings where performance, including conviction rates, are discussed and monitored. Local plans are put in place, where appropriate, to improve the outcomes of cases that are charged and prosecuted.</p><p>In large-scale investigations, the prosecutor may be asked to advise on the overall investigation strategy, to assist the police and other investigators to enable them to complete the investigation within a reasonable period of time and to build the most effective prosecution case. However, prosecutors cannot direct the police or other investigators.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 13/09/2018 09:21:02 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

984355

	registered interest
	date	09/10/2018
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Knives: Crime
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on the prosecution of knife crime in different parts of the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	177312
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2018 answer text <p>The Director of Public Prosecutions regularly meets with her counterpart in Northern Ireland to discuss common issues. The Attorney General will be travelling to Northern Ireland during October to meet with the Northern Ireland Attorney General.</p><p>The Government has a published the Serious Violence Strategy to take action to address serious violence including the recent increases in knife crime. The CPS is working with its cross-Government partners to deliver the Strategy, and also supports the police enforcement to tackle knife crime through its Operation Sceptre.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 18/10/2018 09:27:38 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1599265

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2023
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Russia: Ukraine
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, if she will make an assessment with her Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of allowing UK courts to be used for hearings about damage to Ukrainian infrastructure caused by Russian forces.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	153751
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2023 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>Those responsible for the atrocities that have been committed in Ukraine will be held to account, including military commanders and other individuals in the Putin regime. Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is barbaric. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, and we are committed to helping them secure justice for a growing catalogue of war crimes, which would of course include deliberate or disproportionate damage caused to civilian infrastructure by Russian forces. The international community is rightly focused on prosecution for war crimes. That is the right focus to ensure accountability and to have a deterrent effect on the behaviour of those fighting this conflict at the moment. At Ukraine’s invitation, the UK will play a leading role in a core group of like-minded partners to pursue criminal accountability for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Attorney General has just returned from Ukraine, supporting our training of Ukrainian judges. Cases are already being heard in Ukraine itself. Although consideration could be given to using the courts in England and Wales, it will be necessary to have an international tribunal, and we are determined to help secure justice for the growing catalogue of war crimes in Ukraine.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 07/03/2023 17:35:07 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1599266

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2023
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Courts: Standards
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved administrations on court delays due to covid-19; and if she will take steps to support those administrations in tackling those delays.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	153752
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2023 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>The Attorney General’s Office have had no recent discussions with counterparts in devolved administrations in relation to court delays. In England and Wales, court delays are a matter for the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal’s Service.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 07/03/2023 11:25:56 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon