Justice Committee: weekly update
16 November 2018
At the end of sitting weeks the Justice Committee publishes a brief summary of its activities in the form of a weekly update.
This week
On Tuesday we took evidence on Prison Population 2022: planning for the future.
We also met in private to agree correspondence for publication and discuss future work.
On Thursday we received the Attorney General's review of disclosure, and our Chair Bob Neill MP issued a short statement. We also announced two public evidence sessions next week: one with the Lord Chief Justice, and one with HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.
Oral evidence
Prison population 2022: planning for the future.
At 10.00am we heard from:
- Helen Berresford, Nacro
- Francesca Cooney, Prisoner Learning Alliance
- Anne Fox, Clinks
- Danny Hames, NHS Substance Misuse Providers Alliance
At 10.50am we heard from:
- Simon Boddis, Executive Director, Prison Estate Transformation Programme, HM Prison and Probation Service
- Phil Copple, Executive Director Prisons, HM Prison and Probation Service
- Tom Read, Director of Digital Transformation, Ministry of Justice
In this session we examined the Ministry of Justice's prison estate strategy and discussed cross-government work to reduce offending.
This week we published
- Letter from Edward Argar, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice on Coroners Allowances, Fees and Expenses (Amendment) Regulations 2018
- Letter from Lucy Frazer, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, on Court and Tribunal Fees (probate)
- Letter from Rt Hon Lord Keen of Elie QC, Ministry of Justice, on a call for evidence about enforcement agents
On Thursday the Attorney General published his review of the efficiency and effectiveness of disclosure in the criminal justice system. This review responds in part to our report ‘Disclosure of evidence in criminal cases', published in July 2018. Our Chair, Bob Neill MP, commented on the review, stating:
“Our major report, published in July, flagged the serious long-term failures in disclosure resulting from a system under strain and insufficient focus and leadership at the Crown Prosecution Service.
Such failings compromise fair trials, causing delayed and collapsed trials, unacceptable miscarriages of justice and people being wrongly imprisoned.
Therefore, I welcome the report by the Attorney General today.
Without change we will not restore confidence in our criminal justice system.”
- Read the Chair's full comment
- Read the Attorney General's review
- Read our report ‘Disclosure of evidence in criminal cases' here
Inquiries with open calls for written evidence
You can still submit evidence to the Committee through its evidence portal for the following inquiry, but please contact the Committee secretariat first at justicecom@parliament.uk, as the deadline for written submissions has passed:
Prison population 2022: planning for the future: Read the terms of reference
Future business
We have two meetings next week
On Tuesday 20 November at 10am we will hear from The Rt Hon The Lord Burnett of Maldon, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, in the Wilson Room, Portcullis House.
On Wednesday 21 November at 10am we will hear from Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, in the Thatcher Room, Portcullis House.
To watch online, visit: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Commons
If you wish to watch in person from the public gallery you can. Please read this guidance on visiting Parliament.
Further information
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