Local Scrutiny Involvement Panel (Operational)

The Local Scrutiny Involvement Panel (Operational) was previously known as the Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel. After a review of our community engagement structures for CPS Thames and Chiltern, we restructured the Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel to align it with the wider restructure of the organisation for the region, hence the name of this casework panel has been changed.

The aim is to link it more closely with the Local Scrutiny Involvement Panel (Strategic) so that the two types of panels effectively feed into the Thames and Chiltern Community Engagement Strategy. We have decided - in partnership with our panel community members - that the two Local Scrutiny Involvement Panels in Thames Valley and the joint panel in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire will continue to operate with the minimum of disruption.

Both Local Scrutiny Involvement Panels (Operational) focus on working with communities to ensure that the CPS is informed by the real-life experience of people from diverse backgrounds so that we can prosecute these cases effectively. The CPS hate crime policy is committed to prosecuting these cases robustly. Because of their serious nature, we prioritise these crimes, making sure that victims are supported and obtain justice, as hate crime is a form of hostility against a person because of their identity.

The Local Scrutiny Involvement Panel (Operational) scrutinises randomly-selected finalised cases in order to review the case files and make recommendations. It identifies issues, common themes, and trends in the decision-making process, looking in particular at the impact of decision-making on communities. It also advises on race, religious, disability and homophobic hate crime training development and delivery.

The CPS produces 'lessons learnt' briefings to provide feedback from the panel for legal teams and for Criminal Justice Sector partners to inform legal case work decisions and improvements to practice.

As required by the Equality Act 2010, the CPS is working to provide responses to hate crime for people from protected characteristic groups to be able to live without fear and abuse.

The CPS regularly recruits interested parties to the panel from amongst our local population.  If you would like to explore joining the Local Scrutiny Panel Operational, please contact Inder Kaur Singh on Inderpal.kaur-singh@cps.gsi.gov.uk or telephone her on 0118 908 2509 to find out more about how you can join.