Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Crown Prosecution Service report of 29 September 2023, Crown Prosecution Service Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023: Data Analysis, whether joint enterprise applies where persons unintentionally assist or encourage another to commit a crime.

Joint enterprise is a common law doctrine, meaning that it has developed over time through case law rather than being set out in statute.

The doctrine may apply where two or more persons are involved in committing a criminal offence.

Where joint enterprise applies, the secondary party or accessory will be liable for the offence if they encourage or assist the commission of the offence by the principal party, and they intend to encourage or assist the commission of the offence.

The secondary party will not therefore be liable if they do not intend to encourage or assist the commission of the offence.

The outcomes of the Joint Enterprise pilot were published on 29 September 2023 and will inform the Crown Prosecution Service's national monitoring scheme of joint enterprise cases.