Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to adopt a child-first approach to prosecuting people under the age of 18.

Each CPS Area has a lead prosecutor for cases involving children, who is equipped to deal with complex casework and provide support to other prosecutors.

In May 2023, the CPS published the single biggest update to their legal guidance on Children as Suspects and Defendants, which can be found here: Children as suspects and defendants | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk). This guidance sets out the approach prosecutors should take when applying the Code for Crown Prosecutors when deciding whether to prosecute children. This update incorporates all recent policy, terminology, and legislative updates, and is intended to reflect a ‘Child First’ justice principle.