Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 46
46
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 140
Include evidence-led prosecution guidance in Home Office, CPS, and College of Policing modern slavery materials.
Recommendation
The Home Office should include a section on evidence-led prosecutions in its modern slavery statutory guidance drawing on Article 27 (1) of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (ECAT). Similarly, the Crown Prosecution Service should amend its Guidance to Prosecutors on modern slavery and the College of Policing should include in its Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on modern slavery training content.
Government Response Summary
The government describes existing guidance and training provided by the CPS and the College of Policing.
Paragraph Reference:
140
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
125. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has a dedicated Modern Slavery Unit (MSU), which provides specialist advice and guidance to prosecutors handling modern slavery cases. The MSU also plays a key role in developing and delivering training to prosecutors and police officers on modern slavery offences and evidential issues. The CPS’s ‘Guidance on Prosecuting Human Trafficking Offences’ assists prosecutors in understanding the evidential and legal complexities of these cases. A thematic review of modern slavery prosecutions, carried out by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) in 2019, recognised that the guidance was valued by prosecutors and contained relevant and helpful information for practitioners. 126. The College of Policing also provides training to police forces on modern slavery. Its Authorised Professional Practice (APP) guidance provides officers with practical advice on how to identify and respond to potential cases of modern slavery and human trafficking.