- Police have arrested Peter Mandelson on allegations of misconduct in public office (MiPO).
- Misconduct in public office is a common law offence, triable only on indictment, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
- The offence involves serious, wilful abuse or neglect of the powers and responsibilities of a public office, requiring a direct link between the misconduct and the abuse of those powers.
- The Court of Appeal has stipulated that MiPO should be strictly confined, and this guidance assists prosecutors in applying the Code for Crown Prosecutors in such cases.
- Key elements of the offence include a public officer wilfully neglecting their duty or misconducting themselves to a degree that abuses public trust, without reasonable excuse.
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