Found: reverses the approach originally adopted by the CPS after the passage of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act

Found: In particular, the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 is an example of an enactment

Found: Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 2. Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 3.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Department's press release entitled Deputy Prime Minister sets out vision for the justice system, 24 February 2026, what information his Department holds on the number of cases involving assault of an emergency worker have been dealt with since the commencement of Blitz courts in London in April 2026.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We inherited a criminal courts system in crisis. There are over 80,000 criminal cases currently waiting to be heard in the Crown Court, which means that some victims – and those seeking to clear their name – are waiting years for justice. Only by pulling every lever we have – investment, efficiency and structural reform – can we turn the tide on the backlog and begin to deliver swifter justice for all.

The Deputy Prime Minister has announced several measures we are taking forward to drive efficiency, including enabling the Crown Court judiciary - through the allocation of unlimited sitting days - to undertake targeted approaches to listing to enable cases can be resolved more quickly and efficiently.

Judges based at the Old Bailey, but hearing cases from across London, are using targeted listing to help reduce further court delays that have left some emergency workers waiting years for justice after being attacked while protecting the public.

Between 6 April and 29 June 2026, 107 cases involving offences under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 were listed for hearing. Of these, 64 have been dealt with already.

It should be noted that the decision to list a case is taken by the independent judiciary. This data has been manually collated from locally held operational records and is unpublished management information. It is not subject to the same level of quality assurance as official published statistics. Figures may be subject to change as case records are updated or amended.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on compensation awards resulting from the offence of Assault on an Emergency Worker by type of emergency worker.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of compensation orders and average amount of compensation at criminal courts in England and Wales for a wide range of offences including assault on an emergency worker in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics

However, the type of emergency worker assaulted under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total value of compensation awarded for cases of assaults on Emergency Workers was since 2019.

Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of compensation orders and average amount of compensation at criminal courts in England and Wales for a wide range of offences including assault on an emergency worker in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics

However, the type of emergency worker assaulted under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many charges for Assault on an Emergency Worker were not proceeded with by the CPS in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on offences derived from its Case Management System (CMS) and associated Management Information System (MIS).

CPS offence-level data can be used to report on the number of offences charged and reaching a first hearing at the magistrates’ court. However, this data does not include outcome information for specific offences.

Accordingly, the CPS does not hold centrally retrievable data to identify how many charges for Assault on an Emergency Worker were not proceeded with. To obtain this information would require a manual review of individual case files.

However, to provide context on the volume of cases involved, the table below shows the number of offences for Assault on an Emergency Worker which were charged and reached a first hearing at the magistrates’ court over the last five calendar years under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018:

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many of the cases of charges for assault on emergency workers was the public interest test cited as the reason for discontinuation.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold centrally retrievable data on the reasons for discontinuation at an offence level within its Case Management System (CMS) and associated Management Information System (MIS).

While the CPS applies the Code for Crown Prosecutors, including both the evidential and public interest tests, the specific reasons for decisions are recorded within individual case records rather than in a structured, searchable format.

Accordingly, the CPS is unable to provide the number of cases where the public interest test was cited as the reason for discontinuation in Assault on Emergency Worker cases. To obtain this information would require a manual review of individual case files.

However, to provide context on the volume of cases involved, the table below shows the number of offences for Assault on an Emergency Worker which were charged and reached a first hearing at the magistrates’ court over the last five calendar years under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018:

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many Assault on Emergency Worker prosecutions proceeded where AEW was the only remaining charge.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information on offences derived from its Case Management System (CMS) and associated Management Information System (MIS).

CPS offence-level data can be used to report on the number of offences charged and reaching a first hearing at the magistrates’ court. However, this data does not include outcome information for specific offences.

Accordingly, the CPS does not hold centrally retrievable data to identify how many charges for Assault on an Emergency Worker were not proceeded with. To obtain this information would require a manual review of individual case files.

However, to provide context on the volume of cases involved, the table below shows the number of offences for Assault on an Emergency Worker which were charged and reached a first hearing at the magistrates’ court over the last five calendar years under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018:

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, if the CPS will publish internal guidance and policy documents relating to charging decisions in Assault on Emergency Worker cases.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

The Crown Prosecution Service updated its guidance for prosecuting offences relating to the Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 in June 2025. Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 | The Crown Prosecution Service.

The update ensures prosecutors consider the full range of available offences and adopt a more flexible, case by case approach to selecting the most appropriate charge.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission a study into the impact and consequences of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, as recommended in the Independent Sentencing Review 2025, published on 22 May 2025.

Answered by Lord Timpson

The Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) published its findings on 22 May 2025, and the previous Lord Chancellor welcomed the recommendations and accepted the majority of them in principle. The Sentencing Act takes forward many of the ISR recommendations and it received royal assent on 22 January, and the first tranche of measures will come into effect on 22 March. We are continuing to consider how we take forward the ISR's recommendations that do not require legislation.

Found: Assault with Injury on a Constable 104 Assault without Injury on a Constable Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act

Found: assault by beating on a constable Criminal Justice Act 1988 Sec 39 as added by Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act

Found: (Amendment) Order 2014 • Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 • The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act

Found: In addition, following the introduction of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act in 2018

Found: Act 1997, s.4A H Page 125 of 131 Assault on an emergency worker Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act

Found: Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.4A H Assault on an emergency worker Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act

Found: Act 1997, s.4A H Page 125 of 131 Assault on an emergency worker Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act