A cross-party group of peers has called for the establishment of a specialist unit within the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to oversee cases involving alleged antisemitic offences, arguing that official figures show crimes against Jews are less likely to result in charges than those targeting other groups.
The proposal has been backed by Labour peer Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath, who is credited with playing a key role in reforms to address antisemitism within the Labour Party following findings by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. She said a dedicated CPS team could help counter what she described as the “normalisation” of antisemitism.
Writing for the JC in January, former attorney general Sir Michael Ellis called for exactly such a measure, arguing that a new unit is “badly needed”.
He said the CPS “is failing under all three elements of its name. Failing to do its duty under the Crown, failing to serve all of society – particularly the Jewish community – and failing to prosecute offenders, particularly when those offenders are alleged to have committed antisemitic offences”.
The call for the creation of a unit focused on antisemitism follows the release of Home Office figures indicating that accusations of hate crimes against Muslims are nearly twice as likely to lead to prosecution as those against Jews.
The data showed that the rate of alleged offences targeting Muslims that resulted in a charge or summons was one in 15 recorded offences in the year to March 2025, compared to one in 26 for alleged anti-Jewish hate crimes.
Supporters of the proposal argue that a centralised CPS unit would improve oversight, allowing for better tracking of cases and identification of gaps in prosecutions.
Currently, such cases are handled across multiple teams, with no single body responsible for monitoring outcomes.
Baroness Ramsey told The Times: “Antisemitism isn’t just rising; it’s being normalised in plain sight. Things that would once have been called out are now either ignored or worse, justified. That’s how it takes hold.
“For Jewish communities, it means a growing sense that everyday life is becoming less safe. And it cannot be left to Jewish people alone to call this out. Those of us who are not Jewish have a responsibility to speak up. When hatred starts to feel routine, we should all be worried.”
The proposal was initially introduced as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill in the House of Lords last week by Lord Mendelsohn, but did not secure sufficient backing.
In the wake of Monday’s arson attack on the Hatzola ambulance service in Golders Green, supporters hope the government will reconsider the proposal.
Responding in the Lords, Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint said: “There are a range of other communities who regularly face attack, but I do share his concern that the Jewish community is being singled out.
"And from the prime minister downwards in this government, we will take a stand against antisemitism. We will not tolerate it, and we will take steps to both protect the Jewish community, but ultimately to drive out the causes of those attacks in the first place.”
A CPS spokesperson said comparisons between reported crimes and prosecutions were complex, noting that charging decisions depend on the availability of sufficient evidence.
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