Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Acknowledged
Inadequate contempt of court laws and CPS guidance fail social media era communication needs.
Conclusion
Merseyside Police were put in a very difficult position given legal restrictions on communicating the identity of the Southport suspect and the need to withhold certain information in order to protect the trial. The inconsistent advice from the CPS over the publication of information about the suspect’s religion was particularly regrettable and hampered the police response. It cannot be determined whether the disorder could have been prevented had more information been published. However, the lack of information published in the wake of the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar created a vacuum where misinformation was able to grow, further undermining public confidence. We respect the CPS’s commitment to minimising risks to successful prosecutions, but it is clear that neither the law on contempt nor existing CPS guidance for the media and police are fit for the social media age. We therefore welcome both the Law Commission’s supplementary consultation on contempt of court and the CPS’s review of media guidelines. (Conclusion, Paragraph 17)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government states it is carefully considering recommendations from both the Inspectorate and the Committee, committing to publish a Police Reform White Paper that will outline its intentions to address findings, strengthen public order policing, and enhance the response to violent disorder.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The CPS supported the committee to scrutinise the process by which information was shared with the public following the appalling attack in Southport last year. The Media Protocol is a joint agreement with CPS, policing and the media which provides guidance for how prosecution material in criminal trial proceedings is shared with the media. The CPS is currently reviewing and updating the protocol with policing and media to ensure it takes account of changes to legislation, policy and the media landscape to clearly set out what information or prosecution material can be released to the media. This work began before the 2024 summer disorder began. A public consultation seeking views on a revised draft Media Protocol and User Guidance was launched in January 2025 and closed in March 2025. This is now in the process of reviewing all the responses we received and working with partners to agree an updated version of the protocol. The intention is to publish the revised media protocol and user guidance in autumn, alongside a summary of the consultation responses, with supporting training and communication to ensure there is a clear understanding of the protocol and its use. The protocol will be kept under joint review. Alongside this, the CPS supports proposals for law reform which will make the application of contempt law clearer and simpler – especially when linked to heightened matters of general public interest such as public safety or national security. The CPS has responded to the Law Commission’s supplementary consultation in full.
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