UK riots: Extra criminal lawyers deployed to tackle fallout of violence

The head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has deployed extra criminal lawyers to deal with the fallout of the violent riots across the UK.

Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, has said he has deployed an extra 70 CPS lawyers, to work out of hours, as the CPS is “working around the clock to ensure law and order is maintained, and justice is served”.

In a public statement, he directed CPS lawyers “to make immediate charging decisions where evidence is in place and this is happening”.

“The acts of violence seen across the country this weekend have involved criminality of the most serious kind. I want there to be no doubt about our determination to ensure that those involved will face severe consequences.”

“I am determined that we will act swiftly and robustly, giving the courts maximum ability to pass sentences that reflect what has occurred,” Parkinson added.

Over the weekend, there have been riots by the far-right in Liverpool, Rotherham, Manchester, Hull, Belfast, Stoke-on-Trent and other cities across the UK. These riots come at the heels of the riots that took place in Southport following the murders of three young girls last Monday.

The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC today that “social media acted as a rocket booster behind the spread of misinformation and the organisation of this violence”.

Following the violence at the weekend, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he “utterly condemn the far-right thuggery we have seen this weekend”. He promised the public “be in no doubt: those who have participated in this violence will face the full force of the law”.

The National Police Chiefs Council revealed on Sunday evening that there were 147 people arrested since late night on Saturday, and that number is expected to “rise significantly”.

Downing Street is holding an emergency Cobra meeting this morning after the weekend of violence.

Ministers met with senior members of the judiciary on Sunday for emergency talks.

The Additional Courts Protocol was floated as an idea, which allows courts to operate for longer hours after it was introduced following the 2011 London riots. However, it is understood that there has been no movement in reacting to this protocol as of yet.

Just last month, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced its emergency plans to free up prison spaces in order to tackle the issue of overcrowding. Newly-appointed justice secretary Shabana Mahmood revealed her plans included releasing most prisoners at the 40 per cent mark of their sentence, coming into force from September.

It is understood that the prison issue in regard to the fallout of the riots is not a concern for the MoJ as there is space in the system for those charged.

In a statement published today, Nick Emmerson, president of Law Society of England and Wales said “We have serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of our members following names and addresses of a number of solicitors’ firms and advice agencies being shared on a list of targets for further protest and violence this week.”

He said he wrote to the Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Home Secretary “asking that the threats against the legal profession are treated with the utmost seriousness”.

He added: “We commend the UK government for its swift response and want to see that the necessary support and resources are provided for both prosecution and defence lawyers, courts staff and judiciary in dealing with this emergency.”

Emmerson explained that the criminal justice system has “suffered significant neglect over the last decade and has less resilience and flexibility”.

He pointed out that the “criminal defence profession is also depleted and over-worked and the goodwill of the solicitors who are being called on to work additional antisocial hours is fast running out.”