Member

Amendment 55 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, which I have signed, makes specific the element of the agreement between the UK and the countries whose visiting forces come here. It is very helpful, echoing my noble friend Lord Thomas of Gresford’s Amendment 53, in being explicit about a restriction on the relinquishing of jurisdiction without the explicit decision of a relevant prosecutor, as well as the issues that the relevant prosecutor must take into account. Under this scheme, most of the cases that were taken over by Lakenheath airbase that have come to light would most probably not have been transferred from the relevant UK police force. Most importantly, the process under these amendments would be transparent, including by notifying the victim.