Question to the Attorney General:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made by the Attorney General in his review of the alleged mishandling by the Crown Prosecution Service of forced marriage trials.

The UK Government is committed to tackling the brutal practice of forced marriage. The Attorney General has spoken with the Director of Public Prosecutions about the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) long term strategy to increase the number of prosecutions for ‘honour based’ violence.

The CPS is committed to improving its response to these crimes. It has implemented an action plan relating to ‘honour-based’ violence and forced marriage which will be taken forward by the CPS Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy Team, working in close partnership with the police and third sector experts. Further to the action plan, a joint protocol was published in December 2016 outlining the CPS and police commitment to the successful investigation and prosecution of these crimes. The protocol enables police and prosecutors to quickly understand the action they must take when a crime is reported to the police and referred to the CPS for a charging decision, ensuring the safety of the victim is at the heart of the process.

The Attorney General will be updated on the implementation of the action plan and joint protocol at regular intervals.