The Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) is the organisation within the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

, responsible for consideration of cases referred to it by the Service Police and where appropriate the Military

Chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Mili ...

and where necessary the directing and prosecuting of those cases at Courts Martial worldwide and in the Service Civilian Court. Furthermore, it acts as respondent in the Summary Appeal Court and represents the Crown in the Courts Martial Appeal Court (CMAC). The authority, which is fully independent of the Military Chain of Command and acts under the superintendence of the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

, was formed on 1 January 2009 by the merger of three separate prosecuting authorities: the Army Prosecuting Authority (APA) of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

, the Navy Prosecution Authority (NPA) of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

and the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

Prosecuting Authority (RAFPA). The authority is headed by Jonathan Rees KC, a

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, as Director Service Prosecutions. The Deputy Director Service Prosecutions (DDSP) was formerly a

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

position and is now held by a Civil Servant. The SPA liaises with the Military Court Service, the office of the Judge Advocate General, the

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

, other prosecuting authorities (including the

Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal ad ...

), civilian solicitors, and the military and civilian

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...

. It is staffed by officers from all three of the UK Armed Forces and is supported by a number of civil servants who work for the Ministry of Defence. Its headquarters are at

RAF Northolt RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station in South Ruislip, from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, western Greater London, England, approximately north of Heathrow Airport. The station handles many private civil flights in addition ...

in North West

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

History

As part of the

Armed Forces Act 2006 The Armed Forces Act 2006 (c 52) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It came into force on 31 October 2006. It replaces the three separate Service Discipline Acts (the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 and the Naval Discipl ...

, the separate prosecution authorities of HM Armed Forces were merged to form the tri-service Service Prosecuting Authority. On 1 January 2009, the individual authorities were placed under the leadership of one Director as the newly combined authority took effect. In 2010 the authority moved from

Hillingdon House Hillingdon House is a Grade II listed mansion in Hillingdon, Greater London. The original house was built in 1717 as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Schomberg. It was destroyed by fire and the present house was built in its place in 1844. The B ...

RAF Uxbridge RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Uxbridge, within the London Borough of Hillingdon, occupying a site that originally belonged to the Hillingdon House estate. The British Government purchased the estate in 1915, three year ...

to a newly built headquarters in

References

External links

* {{British Military United Kingdom military law History of the British Army History of the Royal Navy History of the Royal Air Force Prosecution services of the United Kingdom Defence agencies of the United Kingdom 2009 establishments in the United Kingdom Government agencies established in 2009