The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has dissolved and reviewed an advisory panel on hate crimes as such panels must “command public confidence.”
The CPS did not give a specific reason why the panel was disbanded. Stephen Parkinson was appointed the new director of public prosecutions in September, replacing former boss Max Hill at the end of October.
A spokesman told The Epoch Times by email: “Hate crime scrutiny panels must command public confidence and this panel—which was already due to be reviewed—has now been dissolved. We look forward to taking on new advisory members in the near future.”
The Epoch Times understands that there are multiple hate crimes panels across the country and their memberships are now constantly under review.
According to the CPS blog post, “The purpose of the panel, which meets quarterly, is to give community representatives and interest groups a better understanding of how the police and prosecutors are working together to tackle hate crimes against all communities, to review the success rates and discuss issues where referral of hate crimes or prosecution success rates are lower than expected.”
Mr. Kozbar is also deputy secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Mr. Kozbar clarified that the dissolution of the London Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel was not directly linked to his involvement, and the CPS has not indicated any connection between its decision and Mr. Kozbar’s participation on the panel.
Hate Crimes
In January, former Chief Crown Prosecutor and panel Chair Barry Hughes said: “It’s incredibly important that those communities most at risk from hate crimes have the confidence that the CPS, and our police colleagues, are doing everything possible to identify and prosecute those who carry out these hateful crimes.“The panel also provides an opportunity for these groups to help us, by giving us a better understanding of how these crimes impact on communities, how we can better reach out to members of the community, and how we can increase the willingness to report crimes to the police.
“We know that hate crimes are vastly under-reported, so hearing from advocates and representatives of these groups is essential.”
Fair Cop
Despite the shut down of the hate crime panel, the organsition Fair Cop said it is still increasingly concerned by the “clear signs of ideological capture” of the CPS.Fair Cop was set up in response to what it calls “Big Brother” overreach of various police forces and other authorities in England.
Barrister and co-founder of Fair Cop Sarah Phillimore told The Epoch Times that she believes that the CPS is “advised by one political colour.”
Ms. Phillimore said that there are still transgender activist hate crime and violence against women and girls advisers within the CPS who have social media accounts that denigrate anyone with opposing views regarding gender as “transphobic.”
She also pointed out that the CPS’s revised domestic abuse guidance 2022 now includes “refusing money for transition” or refusing to use preferred pronouns, calling it “utterly crazy.”
“We know who is advising them, but they [the CPS] won’t tell us,” she added.
The Epoch Times understands that this element of the CPS’s revised domestic abuse guidance could soon be under review.
