Committee publication · Correspondence · 22 May 2025 · HC 570
Letter, dated 9 May 2025, from Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions
From: Speaker's Conference (2024)
Inquiry: Speaker’s Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections
Summary
Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, responds to the Speaker's Conference on online harassment and intimidation of elected officials. The CPS asserts the existing legal framework is effective but acknowledges practical challenges in prosecuting digital offences, particularly cross-border cases. The CPS reports 40 live cases involving MPs and cites recent convictions including Glen Miller, Ryan Breheny, and Michael Donaldson. It identifies doxxing, pile-on harassment, and trespass/home address disclosure as potential reform areas.
Key findings
- The CPS considers the law provides effective criminal offences to tackle harassment and intimidation of MPs, but acknowledges real difficulties in investigating and prosecuting digital offending, particularly when offenders are unidentified or in other jurisdictions.
- Recent successful prosecutions include Glen Miller (8 weeks suspended, 2024), Ryan Breheny (3 years 3 months, 2024), Michael Donaldson (3 years, 2024), and Thomas Mearing (12 weeks suspended with 5-year restraining order, 2025).
- The CPS is currently managing 40 live cases involving MPs as victims at pre-charge or charged stages, with monthly oversight reports to Directors of Legal Services.
- Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 provisions are rarely prosecuted (only one recent conviction in May 2023); offences must be made during elections and relate to personal character or conduct.
- The CPS identifies doxxing, pile-on harassment, trespass, home addresses, and section 181 Representation of the People Act 1983 as areas warranting potential legal reform.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Stephen Parkinson, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Glen Miller, Ryan Breheny, Michael Donaldson, Nabil Arif, Jess Phillips, Ed Miliband
Notable line
“… offences against MPs do not just impact them, their families and staff personally, but are a wider assault on democracy itself”
Key Quotes
“… the law provides a suite of effective criminal offences to tackle this behaviour, but that is not to diminish the fact that in practice there can be real difficulties in delivering justice for victims”
“Online conduct by persons who may not be capable of being identified or may be in other jurisdictions can present insurmountable evidential issues.”
“We understand that offences against MPs do not just impact them, their families and staff personally, but are a wider assault on democracy itself”
“A prosecution is also more likely if the offence has been committed against a victim who was at the time a person serving the public”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗