PPS Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Stalking

Overview

This is a public consultation by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS) to seek your views on our new policy for prosecuting cases of stalking. The policy document can be accessed here:

PPS Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Stalking (June 2024)

The purpose of this policy is to explain the PPS’s approach in taking prosecutorial decisions in respect of stalking, as well as the assistance available to support victims and witnesses in these cases.

Tackling stalking is a priority for the PPS. Stalking is one of the most frequently experienced forms of abuse. It is a dangerous and serious crime that can result in fear, trauma and a reduction in the victim’s quality of life. In some cases stalking can escalate to rape and murder.

The PPS is committed to dealing with offences of stalking in a fair, effective, sensitive and compassionate manner and without avoidable delay in order to minimise any adverse impact that the process may have on victims and witnesses. The safety of victims is of paramount concern.

The new policy also provides guidance in respect of the Protection from Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, and how the legislation will be used by prosecutors. The Act, which became law on 27 April 2022, created a specific offence of stalking in Northern Ireland. This offence recognises the persistent, fixated and obsessive nature of this crime and the devastating impact it can have on the victim.

Why your views matter

You are invited to submit your views using a short questionnaire (eight questions in total) which can be accessed via the link below.

If possible, your responses should be limited to a maximum of approximately 1,000 words per question.  

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 and SPA websites. 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.

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. 

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.