Chris Huhne - Prosecution For Perverting The Course of Justice

Prosecution For Perverting The Course of Justice

In May 2011 Huhne's estranged wife Vicky Pryce said that Huhne had "pressurised people to take his driving licence penalty points" on his behalf. Huhne denied the allegations of perverting the course of justice, contrary to common law. Essex Police said: "We take allegations such as this one extremely seriously and will take action where necessary."

In a YouGov opinion poll, before any decision to prosecute, almost half the respondents thought that Huhne should resign over the allegations.

Essex Police sent initial papers to the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the allegations and Huhne exercised his right to remain silent in response to police questions in May. On 25 June 2011, Essex Police said that a judge at the Crown Court at Chelmsford granted them a court order to take possession of a recording from The Sunday Times in which the ex-couple apparently discuss the case. It then emerged that Huhne had again been interviewed by police concerning the allegations and on 28 July the police handed the file to prosecutors. On 17 August 2011, the Crown Prosecution Service remitted the matter to Essex Police with a direction to investigate the matter further. On 25 August 2011, Essex Police re-submitted their allegations to the CPS. A decision on whether criminal proceedings would be instituted for the alleged offence was expected to be made by the end of September 2011.

On 28 October 2011, the Crown Prosecution Service referred the matter to Essex Police for further investigation, having completed a "full review" of the allegations. At a private hearing in October 2011, a judge in the Crown Court at Chelmsford ordered The Sunday Times to produce email messages between Pryce and the newspaper's political editor in relation to the police investigation. On 22 November, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC announced that the CPS was "very close" to deciding whether to prosecute. The reason for the delay was that The Sunday Times was seeking judicial review of the court order the CPS had obtained. The DPP stated "we do not shy away from prosecuting politicians". The judicial review hearing was scheduled for 20 January 2012. However, on that date The Sunday Times dropped its application for judicial review and said that it would comply with the court order for delivery of the documents.

The emails were delivered to Essex Police, who said there was no need to conduct further interviews. Essex Police had recommended to the CPS that both Huhne and Pryce be prosecuted for the alleged offences.

The DPP announced on 3 February 2012 that both Huhne and Pryce had been charged with perverting the course of justice. Huhne thereupon resigned from the Cabinet. As a result of his resignation, and in accordance with the rules governing severance payments to resigning ministers, Huhne received a tax-free payment of £17,000. Huhne and Pryce appeared before Mr Justice Saunders in the Crown Court at Southwark on 2 March 2012. A trial was timetabled for early October 2012, with the possibility that the case might start earlier. Neither defendant entered a plea and both were granted unconditional bail. At a plea and case management hearing on 1 June 2012, Huhne announced his intention to apply to the court to have the charge dismissed. Pryce entered a plea of not guilty, and will advance a defence at trial that Huhne coerced her into taking his penalty points.. On 5 October 2012, the trial was adjourned until 14 January 2013 for "legal reasons" which were not disclosed.