An out of court disposal (OOCD) is a method of resolving an investigation when the offender is known and when that offender admits the offence. An OOCD can only be used in limited circumstances and it should reduce re-offending by enabling restorative and reparative justice. Nationally, there are a number of methods for dealing with suspects in this way. These are universal and include community resolutions, conditional cautioning, simple cautions, cannabis warnings and Penalty Notices for Disorder. More information on these disposals can be found here.

On 24 November 2014 West Yorkshire Police partially commenced implementation of a new simplified, two-tier model; the pilot only permits the use of conditional cautions and community resolutions. Since then a quarterly scrutiny panel of criminal justice partners has been set up to review a sample of these disposals. The intention of the panel is to provide transparency and accountability and increase public understanding, confidence and trust in how West Yorkshire Police use out of court disposals. There is a particular focus on the delivery of appropriate and proportionate justice, ensuring redress for victims of crime as well as addressing the root causes of offending behaviour. More information on the scrutiny panel can be found below.

Fact Sheet for Out of Court Disposals

Fact Sheet for the Scrutiny Panel

Other Key Documents