This policy outlines the procedures to be followed by Bath & North East Somerset Council with regard to the prosecution of Housing and / or Council Tax Benefit claimants. The full policy can be downloaded from Related Documents on the top right hand side of this web page.

A decision to prosecute an individual is a serious step. Fair and effective prosecution is essential to the maintenance of law and order but, even in a minor case, a prosecution has serious implications for all involved. Therefore decisions to prosecute should be fair and consistent and, above all, in the public interest.

Various factors should be borne in mind when considering whether or not it is in the public interest to prosecute. All these areas are outlined in the full policy as listed below:

• Introduction
• The Policy
• The Seriousness of the Offence
• Mitigating Circumstances
• Other Factors 
• Knowledge of Similar Prosecutions
• Prosecution Procedure
• Administrative Penalties
• Cautions
• Responsibilities
• Publicity & Reporting

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