The Attorney General\u2019s Office received a number of referrals under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) Scheme for the case of R v Broadhurst.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Law Officers can only refer a sentence as unduly lenient if there has been a \u201cgross error\u201d resulting in the sentence being significantly below the level that any judge could reasonably have imposed. The power is one that should only be used in exceptional circumstances and it is not an automatic prosecution right of appeal.<\/p>
<\/p>
After reviewing the case I am satisfied that the judge approached the sentencing in the correct way and I have concluded that the sentence was not outside the range of sentences that were reasonably available to the judge. It would therefore not be right for me to refer the sentence to the Court of Appeal.<\/p>
<\/p>
Sentencing is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice while charging decisions are an independent matter for the Crown Prosecution Service.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1508", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torridge and West Devon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Geoffrey Cox"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-02-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-02-11T15:18:29.183Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "John Broadhurst"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the sentence delivered in the case of R v Broadhurst in December 2018.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birkenhead"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Frank Field"} ], "uin" : "216140"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1051360", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Attorney General"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1051360/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the volumes of completed prosecutions, or caseload, by outcome as a count of the number of defendants and collates the data collected in financial years.<\/p>
<\/p>
The table below shows the number of finalised prosecutions and convictions in the Merseyside and Cheshire CPS Area during each year from 2010-11 to 2017-18.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p><\/td> | Convictions<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Non-Convictions<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Total Prosecutions<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> <\/p><\/td> Volume<\/strong><\/p><\/td> %<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Volume<\/strong><\/p><\/td> %<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010-2011<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 39,902<\/p><\/td> 84.4%<\/p><\/td> 7,402<\/p><\/td> 15.6%<\/p><\/td> 47,304<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011-2012<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 35,074<\/p><\/td> 86.4%<\/p><\/td> 5,537<\/p><\/td> 13.6%<\/p><\/td> 40,611<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012-2013<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31,528<\/p><\/td> 87.9%<\/p><\/td> 4,322<\/p><\/td> 12.1%<\/p><\/td> 35,850<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013-2014<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31,971<\/p><\/td> 88.8%<\/p><\/td> 4,017<\/p><\/td> 11.2%<\/p><\/td> 35,988<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014-2015<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 28,129<\/p><\/td> 87.2%<\/p><\/td> 4,123<\/p><\/td> 12.8%<\/p><\/td> 32,252<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2015-2016<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 26,017<\/p><\/td> 87.3%<\/p><\/td> 3,801<\/p><\/td> 12.7%<\/p><\/td> 29,818<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2016-2017<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 26,545<\/p><\/td> 87.7%<\/p><\/td> 3,720<\/p><\/td> 12.3%<\/p><\/td> 30,265<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2017-2018<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 25,037<\/p><\/td> 86.6%<\/p><\/td> 3,875<\/p><\/td> 13.4%<\/p><\/td> 28,912<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> Data Source: CPS Management Information System<\/p> <\/p> While the volume of prosecutions in the Area have fallen by 39% during the 8 year period, it is important to be aware that the types of cases prosecuted by Merseyside and Cheshire CPS have changed significantly in the period between 2010 and 2018. The Area is prosecuting more serious and complex cases as evidenced by a 21% increase in homicide, a 23% increase in offences against the person and a 62% increase in sexual offences cases. During this period, minor motoring cases have fallen by 52% in the Area. This followed changes to the list of specified offences made in 2012 which transferred responsibility for prosecuting many low level motoring offences back to the police.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4106", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland"}
}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Buckland"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-02-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-02-07T12:31:40.597Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-01-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crown Prosecution Service: Cheshire and Merseyside"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, what the caseload of Merseyside-Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service has been in each year from 2010 to 2018.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Eagle"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Garston and Halewood"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Maria Eagle"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1051361", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Attorney General"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1051361/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The overall staffing levels of the Crown Prosecution Service in Merseyside Cheshire from 2010 to 2018 are listed in the table below. Following an organisational restructure in 2011, the separate Areas of Crown Prosecution Service Merseyside and Crown Prosecution Service Cheshire combined under a single Chief Crown Prosecutor leadership to form the Area of Crown Prosecution Service Mersey Cheshire.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p><\/td> <\/p><\/td> Head Count<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Mersey Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2018<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 240<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Mersey Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2017<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 224<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Mersey Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2016<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 217<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Mersey Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2015<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 205<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Mersey Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2014<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 223<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Mersey Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2013<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 233<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Mersey Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2012<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 282<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Merseyside<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2011<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 250<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2011<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 88<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Merseyside<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2010<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 255<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> CPS Cheshire<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31 December 2010<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 103<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> (Data Source Trent HR Database as at 31/01/2019)<\/em><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4106", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Swindon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Buckland"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-02-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-02-07T12:41:19.49Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-01-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crown Prosecution Service: Cheshire and Merseyside"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, what the overall staffing level of Merseyside-Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service was in each year from 2010 to 2018.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Eagle"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Garston and Halewood"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Maria Eagle"}
], "uin" : "214503"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1051363", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Attorney General"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1051363/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the volumes of completed prosecutions, or caseload, by outcome as a count of the number of defendants and collates the data collected in financial years.<\/p> <\/p> The table below shows the number of finalised prosecutions and convictions in the Merseyside and Cheshire CPS Area during each year from 2010-11 to 2017-18.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p><\/td> Convictions<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Non-Convictions<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Total Prosecutions<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> <\/p><\/td> Volume<\/strong><\/p><\/td> %<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Volume<\/strong><\/p><\/td> %<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010-2011<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 39,902<\/p><\/td> 84.4%<\/p><\/td> 7,402<\/p><\/td> 15.6%<\/p><\/td> 47,304<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011-2012<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 35,074<\/p><\/td> 86.4%<\/p><\/td> 5,537<\/p><\/td> 13.6%<\/p><\/td> 40,611<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012-2013<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31,528<\/p><\/td> 87.9%<\/p><\/td> 4,322<\/p><\/td> 12.1%<\/p><\/td> 35,850<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013-2014<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 31,971<\/p><\/td> 88.8%<\/p><\/td> 4,017<\/p><\/td> 11.2%<\/p><\/td> 35,988<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> |