Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what bodies can prosecute without the approval of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Answered by Robert Buckland
Any private individual or entity who/which is not acting on behalf of the police or another prosecuting authority may bring a private prosecution. There are some organisations that regularly prosecute cases as a private prosecutor before the courts of England and Wales, for example the RSPCA. Furthermore, there are other prosecution authorities that bring prosecutions pursuant to statute, including the Serious Fraud Office and the Service Prosecuting Authority. Some offences can only be brought if the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Attorney General is obtained.