The past two decades have seen a sustained rise in multi-defendant homicide prosecutions
This report tracks multi-defendant homicide prosecutions in England and Wales and the concerns they raise around fairness, youth involvement, and racial disproportionality. Drawing on Home Office and CPS data from 2005–2024, it finds that prosecutions involving multiple defendants have become more common, with young people disproportionately represented among those convicted. It also highlights persistent racial disparities and increasingly severe sentencing outcomes for those convicted.
The report situates these findings within wider academic and policy debates on joint enterprise and shared responsibility in serious crime. Authors make the case for government attention and intervention on three key issues:
- Narrow the scope of the law: Via a workable test for when someone can be held liable for the crimes of another.
- Proportionate sentencing: With a separate sentencing framework for secondary parties.
- Greater transparency and accountability: Requiring prosecutors to state each defendant's individual conduct and intent, and identify possible alternative charging.
As lead author Liat Tuv notes:
For those who have long held concerns about joint enterprise, these new stats may not say much that they didn’t already know or suspect. But they do confirm some troubling trends at a time when joint enterprise is under scrutiny. In this report, we contend that the way multi-defendant cases are approached is susceptible to contemporary policy concerns. Reforming the law will take political will.
Related links and commentary
- The Guardian (15 April 2026): Covers our report’s findings on rising multi-defendant prosecutions and concerns around fairness, youth involvement, and racial disproportionality.
- House of Lords debate on joint enterprise reform (5 February 2026): Our research was cited in this cross-party debate.
- The Justice Gap – article by Kim Johnson (10 February 2026): Our report was referenced in this piece marking ten years since R v Jogee.
We are grateful to the Barrow Cadbury Trust for supporting this work.
