Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, with reference to her Department's transparency data on Outcome of unduly lenient sentence referrals updated on 5 September 2023, for what reason ULS reference 461 2023 is listed as application withdrawn.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Under the ULS scheme, the Law Officers may apply to the Court of Appeal to refer to it a sentence which appears unduly lenient. The decision to make such an application is kept under continual review.
Where an application to the Court has been made and further information changes their analysis as to whether the sentence should be referred, the application is withdrawn.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many cases at Crown Courts have been discontinued in the last 12 months as a result of the lack of a prosecuting barrister.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of cases dropped/discontinued at the Crown Court due to the lack of a prosecuting barrister. This information could only be obtained by an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.