Private prosecution safeguards needed to ensure power to prosecute not abused, Bar Council says

The government has launched a consultation to reform private prosecutions and the Single Justice Procedure.

In response, Bar Council Chair Barbara Mills KC said: “We welcome the consultation to review the issues surrounding private prosecutions and the Single Justice Procedure. Both procedures have led to miscarriages of justice and shaken public confidence in the criminal justice system.

“As the Justice Select Committee inquiry found, it is essential that safeguards are put in place, with enhanced oversight, and possibly formal regulation, to ensure the power to prosecute is not abused.”

In January 2024, the Bar Council for a review of private prosecution powers.