PPS Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

Overview

This is a public consultation by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS) to seek your views on our updated policy for prosecuting cases of modern slavery and human trafficking (referred to in the document as ‘MSHT’).

Modern Slavery is an umbrella term that covers the offences of human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. It is recognised that victims are among the most vulnerable people in society and could be hesitant to seek help due to fear of, and control by, their traffickers.

The purpose of the policy is to explain the approach of the PPS in taking prosecutorial decisions in respect of offences arising from MSHT and the wide range of other crimes associated with it such as rape, child sex abuse, assault and benefit fraud. 

It is intended that this policy will also provide practical and legal guidance to prosecutors dealing with MSHT cases.

The updated policy document can be accessed here:

PPS Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (January 2021)

It should be noted that initial equality screening has been carried out and no differential impacts were identified. However comments will also be welcomed from any person or organisations representing Section 75 groups that can highlight any aspect of the policy which may result in an unintentional impact. The initial screening form is available via the Equality area of the PPS website. 

Why your views matter

The PPS would welcome comments from any interested individuals or groups regarding the scope and content of this policy document. You are invited to submit your views using a short questionnaire (9 questions in total) which can be accessed via the link below.

At the end of the consultation period, copies of responses received by the PPS may be made publicly available. The information will also be published in a summary of responses which will be made available on the PPS website. If you do not want all or part of your response or name made public, please state this clearly in your response. Any confidentiality disclaimer that may be generated by you or your organisation's IT system or included as a general statement in your fax cover sheet, will be taken to apply only to information in your response for which confidentiality has been specifically requested.

Any personal data which you provide will be handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Respondents should also be aware that the PPS's obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 may require that responses not subject to specific exemptions in the Act may be communicated to third parties on request.

Data Protection

The Data Controller of this information is the Public Prosecution Service, 93 Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 3JR. The Data Protection Officer for the Service can be contacted at dpo@ppsni.gov.uk.

Details of why we collect your data, what we do with it, and how we protect your privacy, along with the PPS Retention and Disposal Policy (detailing the time periods for which different classes of data are retained), can be found on the PPS website. The relevant Privacy Notice can be viewed here.