Schedule 8: Costs in criminal cases: service courts Schedule 17: Restatement of transitional provision Cautions Section 133: Conditional cautions: involvement of prosecutors
728.Section 133 amends sections 22 to 25 of the 1991 Act. The section enables the authorised person (usually a police officer) to make a decision to offer a conditional caution by removing the requirement that, before the authorised person can offer a conditional caution to an offender, they must refer the matter to the relevant prosecutor (usually the Crown Prosecution Service) to decide that there is sufficient evidence to charge the offender with the offence, and that a conditional caution should be given. The section enables those decisions to be taken by the authorised person without reference to the relevant prosecutor.
729.Section 133 also enables the authorised person to vary conditions in the conditional caution without reference to the relevant prosecutor. The other requirements for a conditional caution remain unchanged, including that the offender admits that they committed the offence and that they consent to being given a conditional caution.
730.The intention is that the Code of Practice issued under section 25 of the 1991 Act or guidance will specify those matters that should still be referred to the relevant prosecutor for a decision about whether a conditional caution should be given or to vary conditions.