Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what guidance he has published on laying criminal charges against people with dementia.

All decisions to prosecute made by the Crown Prosecution Service must meet the Full Code Test set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The Code makes it clear that there is a balance to be struck between the public interest in diverting a defendant with significant mental illness such as dementia from the criminal justice system and other public interest factors in favour of prosecution, including the need to safeguard the public.

The eighth edition of the Code for Crown Prosecutors was published in October 2018. Prosecutors are asked to “have regard to whether the suspect is, or was at the time of the offence, affected by any significant mental or physical ill health or disability, as in some circumstances this may mean that it is less likely that a prosecution is required. However, prosecutors will also need to consider how serious the offence was, whether the suspect is likely to re-offend and the need to safeguard the public or those providing care to such persons.”

The existing CPS legal guidance on prosecuting ‘Mentally Disordered Offenders’ is currently being revised to include specific guidance on prosecuting cases where the suspect suffers from a condition such as dementia. This will be published for public consultation in 2019.