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Deferred prosecution agreements for individuals unlikely, says Solicitor General

Supervision of deferred prosecution agreement hearings would be a matter for the Lord Chief Justice, Edward Garnier, the solicitor-general told lawyers at a recent ‘Lloyds Law Reports: Financial Crime’ reception in London. Speaking on the government consultation paper, he suggested that, as in terrorism cases, a High Court judge could be put in charge of assigning judiciary of equivalent rank, or suitably qualified Crown Court judges. Hearings would mainly take place in London, Mr Garnier anticipated, but they might be held in other cities, like Manchester or Leeds, as long as judges with the right experience were available.