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Written Question
Rape: Prosecutions
Tuesday 24th March 2020

Asked by: Lord Beecham (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they have taken in response to the failure of the Crown Prosecution Service to share the findings of its internal review into unprosecuted rape cases with the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate Rape Inspection 2019.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

The scope and data set for the HMCPSI inspection was much broader than CPS’ internal report. It therefore would not have been appropriate to share the report itself while the inspection was ongoing. The report subsequently was shared with both the inspectorate and the Attorney General’s Office in January.

I am pleased that the CPS has already accepted all recommendations made in HMCPSI’s Rape Inspection 2019 report and remains a partner in the ongoing cross-Government rape review. This will provide valuable insight into this complex area across the whole criminal justice system, and the CPS is committed to addressing any issues the review highlights openly and honestly.

Written Question
Domestic Abuse: Prosecutions
Monday 13th February 2017

Asked by: Lord Beecham (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of cases in which the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS's) decisions not to initiate prosecutions in cases of domestic violence have been successfully challenged, whether they will commission an inquiry into the policy and practice of the CPS in relation to that issue.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

Victims of domestic abuse can challenge a CPS decision not to prosecute their case, under the Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) scheme. In 2015-16, the CPS made 41,503 decisions in domestic abuse cases. 520 of these cases were appealed through the VRR scheme; 49 of which were upheld. Of the total number of domestic abuse decisions, the upheld rate was 0.12%. Of the number of domestic abuse VRR appeals, the upheld rate was 9.4%. An inquiry is not required because these volumes and proportions are small and the CPS is, in the majority of domestic abuse cases, accurate in its decision making.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 29 Oct 2014
Scotland: Devolution

"My Lords, I refer to my local government interests contained in the register, and I join other noble Lords in congratulating my noble friend Lord Lennie on a remarkable maiden speech. He has the somewhat dubious distinction of having at one time been a constituent of mine, and I suppose …..."
Lord Beecham - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 18 Nov 2013
Public Interest Immunity Certificates

"My Lords, is not the SFO—the Serious Fraud Office—a seriously failing office? What expectations does the noble and learned Lord have of it improving on its rather poor record thus far?..."
Lord Beecham - View Speech

View all Lord Beecham (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Public Interest Immunity Certificates
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 29 Jul 2013
Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 5) Rules 2013

"

At end to insert “but that this House regrets that the rules do not reflect the significance of the introduction of closed material procedures to civil proceedings or the concerns expressed by Special Advocates”...."
Lord Beecham - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 29 Jul 2013
Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 5) Rules 2013

"My Lords, in moving the amendment in my name, I begin by thanking the noble and learned Lord, as I am sure other noble Lords would wish to do, for his thorough and comprehensive introduction of the rules—without so much as a pause for breath in the 12 minutes or …..."
Lord Beecham - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 29 Jul 2013
Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 5) Rules 2013

"My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble and learned Lord and I look forward to hearing further from him on some of the outstanding matters. He may well be right about Part 36 offers—well, of course, he must be right—and that the possible problem that might have existed …..."
Lord Beecham - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 29 Jul 2013
Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 5) Rules 2013

"But the points that the special advocates have raised go to the process, which is the subject of these rules. The points that I have made could and should have been taken into account in the drafting of the rules to implement this procedure other than simply on the basis …..."
Lord Beecham - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 26 Mar 2013
Justice and Security Bill [HL]

"My Lords, I wish to speak to Amendment 6A as an amendment to Amendment 6.

During the Second Reading debate on the Bill I referred to the obvious difficulty that your Lordships faced in calibrating the balance between the two desiderata of justice and security. There were some then, as …..."
Lord Beecham - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 26 Mar 2013
Justice and Security Bill [HL]

"..."
Lord Beecham - View Speech

View all Lord Beecham (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Justice and Security Bill [HL]