Written question asked by Matt Vickers (Conservative) on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 2026. It was answered by Sarah Sackman (Labour) on Friday, 26 June 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Emergency Services: Crimes of Violence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has held discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service on the evidential and public interest thresholds applied when deciding whether to seek a second or subsequent retrial in cases involving alleged assaults on emergency worker Assaults.

Answer: Assaults on emergency workers are a serious matter. Prosecution decisions are for the independent Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider, and it would be inappropriate for a Minister to discuss this with the CPS. The evidential and public interest tests (termed the ‘two-stage’ test) are set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, and consideration of how they are applied is a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Where a jury has been unable to reach a verdict or has been discharged, the prosecution will apply the two-stage test set out in the Code when deciding whether or not to proceed to a retrial. Prosecutors are expected to be fair and objective when making decisions and should only proceed with a prosecution if the two-stage test has been met.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 10751
Session: 2026-27
Subjects: Crimes of violence Crown Prosecution Service Emergency services Trials
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk