The Law Commission has proposed that the offence of misconduct in public office (MisPO) be reformed.

It has recommended that MisPO be replaced with two offences: an offence of corruption in public office’ and an offence of breach of duty in public office. The intention is to focus the criminal law on the worst forms of misconduct, leaving space for other consequences such as disciplinary proceedings in less serious cases.

The Law Commission has set out a list of positions that constitute “public office” for the offences and proposes that the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions is required for the prosecution of the offences, to ensure that the right cases are prosecuted and to prevent vexatious private prosecutions.  Dr Anton van Dellen has advised on MisPO in the context of inquest proceedings.

In this news post  – Dr Anton van Dellen

Dr Anton van Dellen has experience in a wide range of defamation proceedings, ranging from pre-action advice to fully contested High Court claims and appeals up to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He also has sound experience in bringing Judicial Reviews and appeals against a wide range of public authorities, challenging decisions for being unlawful, irrational and/or failing to follow published guidance. High Net Worth clients are represented by Dr Anton van Dellen in a range of litigation involving disputes over assets.