Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the transparency data entitled AGO transparency data - January to March 2023, published on 21 July 2023, whether any matters related to the work of her Department were discussed during the hospitality she received from the Federalist Society on 9 February 2023.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Neil M. Gorsuch spoke at a lunch hosted by the Federalist Society on his role as a Supreme Court Justice. The Attorney attended, she did not speak at the lunch or discuss her role in detail.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what her Department's policy is on the parity of fees for prosecution and defence counsels.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
Equality of arms between defence and prosecution is an important principle within the criminal justice system. Following last year’s increase to defence counsel fees, as recommended by the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid, this Government is providing additional funding to uplift the fees CPS pays to prosecution counsel. This funding restores parity between defence and prosecution counsel. |
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme on allowing victims of crime to seek appeals of sentencing.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme is an important mechanism to ensure that victims of crime can have confidence that justice will be served. The Victims’ Code entitles victims to be informed about the scheme, promptly after sentence, so that they may refer sentences for consideration by the Law Officers within the time limit. The Attorney General’s Office receives requests to review sentences from victims; their family members; the CPS; the police; MPs and members of the public. In 2022, 139 sentences were referred to the Court of Appeal and in 95 cases (68%), sentences were increased. |
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the Crown Prosecution Service in the next Spending Review.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
In the 2021 Spending Review, the CPS secured a significant funding increase enabling it to respond to growing pressures in the criminal justice system. This settlement saw a significant investment in CPS funding, increasing its budget from £630m a year to £728m by 2024/25. That settlement has been maintained by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. |