{{Short description|British court case}} {{Lead too short|date=September 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox court case | name = ''Regina v Huhne and Pryce'' | court = Crown Court | image = Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom (St. Edward's Crown).svg | imagesize = | imagelink = | imagealt = | caption = | full name = Regina v Christopher Huhne and Vasiliki Pryce | date decided = | citations = | transcripts = | judges =The Honourable Mr Justice Sweeney | prior actions = | subsequent actions = | related actions = ''The Queen (on the application of Times Newspapers Limited) v the Crown Court at Chelmsford'' | opinions = | keywords = }} '''''Regina v Christopher Huhne and Vasiliki Pryce'''''{{#tag:ref|These are the names as they appear on the indictment, no. T20127076|group= n}} is the prosecution of the former British Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne MP, and his former wife, Vicky Pryce, the former Head of the Government Economic Service, for perverting the course of justice, contrary to common law. Huhne became the first Cabinet minister in British history to resign as a consequence of criminal proceedings. On 4 February 2013, Huhne was convicted after changing his plea to guilty. The trial of Pryce began on the following day, lasting until 20 February 2013 when the jury were discharged by the judge. A re-trial began on 25 February 2013 and led to the conviction of Pryce on 7 March 2013.
==Background== thumb|Huhne, speaking in 2010 [[File:Vicky Pryce at Chatham House 2012.jpg|thumb|Vicky Pryce at Chatham House in 2012]]
Huhne had been the Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh since 2005. On 12 May 2010 he was appointed to the cabinet office of Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition formed following the 2010 general election.<ref>{{cite news |author=Staff |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/may/13/coalition-cabinet-list-profiles |title=Who's who in the coalition cabinet |work=The Guardian |date=13 May 2010}}</ref> In June 2010, Huhne announced that he was leaving his wife of 26 years.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} The couple divorced in January 2011.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16649877 |title=Sunday Times drops Chris Huhne emails legal challenge |date=20 January 2012}}</ref>
In May 2011, Pryce stated that she was aware that Huhne had "pressured people to take his driving licence penalty points". Huhne emphatically denied these allegations. They amounted to the serious criminal offence of perverting the course of justice, contrary to common law.<ref name=ICLR>{{cite court|litigants=R. v Christopher Huhne|vol=|reporter=Incorporated Council for Law Reporting for England & Wales|opinion=|pinpoint=1|court=Court of Appeal Criminal Division||date=28 October 2014 |url=https://www.iclr.co.uk/document/2016025574/%5B2014%5D%20EWCA%20Crim%202541/html}}</ref> Labour MP Simon Danczuk made a criminal complaint to Essex Police in respect of the allegations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-02-04 |title=How MP's complaint triggered investigation |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/how-mps-complaint-triggered-investigation-88lgw76ktbm |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=The Times|language=en}}</ref> The main allegation was that Huhne had evaded his own penalty points by causing Pryce dishonestly to accept three penalty points which he had incurred while driving his BMW car through a speed camera between Stansted Airport and London on the evening of 12 March 2003.<ref name="BBC 2013-03-11" /> During interviews with Essex Police, Huhne exercised his right to remain silent.{{citation needed|reason=WP:RS/P (Daily Mail)|date=November 2019}} A decision whether to institute proceedings for the alleged offences was delayed for eight months while ''The Sunday Times'' made an application for judicial review of an order of the Crown Court at Chelmsford that the Crown Prosecution Service had obtained, which obliged the newspaper to disclose e-mails between Pryce and its political editor, Isabel Oakeshott,<ref name="Lewis">{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/staggers/2013/03/isabel-oakeshott-vicky-pryce-double-crossed-me|title=Isabel Oakeshott: Vicky Pryce double-crossed me|last=Lewis|first=Helen|date=10 March 2013|work=New Statesman|accessdate=21 September 2015}}</ref> in which the case was discussed. The application was withdrawn on 20 January 2012.{{citation needed|reason=WP:RS/P (Daily Express)|date=November 2019}} In December 2011, newspapers reported that Essex Police had recommended to the CPS that both Huhne and Pryce be prosecuted for the alleged offences.{{citation needed|reason=WP:RS/P (Daily Express)|date=November 2019}}
==Criminal proceedings==
===Preliminary hearings=== On 3 February 2012, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC announced that there was sufficient evidence to bring charges against Huhne and Pryce.<ref>BBC News, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16866127 "Chris Huhne quits cabinet over speeding claims charge"]. BBC News, (3 February 2012)</ref> Huhne immediately resigned as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, becoming the first cabinet minister in British history to resign as a result of criminal proceedings.{{citation needed|reason=WP:RS/P (Daily Mail)|date=November 2019}} The pair were summoned to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 16 February 2012, at which (by right) neither defendant indicated a plea. They were each granted unconditional bail. The case was sent for trial at the Crown Court at Southwark, and an initial hearing was fixed for 2 March 2012.<ref>BBC News, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17053575 "Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce in court for speeding case"]. BBC News, (16 February 2012)</ref>
The charge against Huhne was that:<ref name="Charges" />
{{blockquote|Between 21 March 2003 and 21 May 2003, [he] ... intended to pervert the course of public justice, by doing an act in that he, during the course of an investigation into an offence of driving a vehicle in excess speed, ... submitted information to the investigation officer that Vicky Pryce had been the driver, enabling her to admit responsibility for the offence and causing her licence to be endorsed with three penalty points.}}
The charge against Pryce was that:<ref name="Charges" />
{{blockquote|Between 12 March 2003 and 21 May 2003, [she] ... intended to pervert the course of justice by committing an act during the course of an investigation into an offence of driving a vehicle in excess speed, [in which she] submitted information to the investigating authorities that ... [she was] the driver of the vehicle, causing ... [her] licence to be endorsed with three penalty points.}}
===Crown Court=== On 2 March 2012, Mr Justice Saunders scheduled a trial for two weeks in October 2012, and extended the defendants' unconditional bail until a plea and case management hearing, which was held on 1 June 2012 at the Crown Court at Southwark before Mr Justice Saunders.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17231997 |title=Chris Huhne trial set for October |date=16 February 2012}}</ref> At the hearing Pryce entered a plea of not guilty, on the basis that she acted under the marital coercion of Huhne. Huhne did not enter a plea, and his arraignment was adjourned pending the determination of an application to have the indictment quashed. The defendants' unconditional bail was extended until the opening of the trial, scheduled for 2 October 2012.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sam |last=Jones |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jun/01/vicky-pryce-chris-huhne?newsfeed=true |title=Vicky Pryce pleads not guilty over Chris Huhne speeding points |work=The Guardian |date=1 June 2012}}</ref> A series of hearings during the week beginning 1 October 2012 took place at the Crown Court at Southwark before Mr Justice Sweeney. An order was made under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, restricting what could be reported. On 5 October 2012, the trial was adjourned until 14 January 2013 for legal reasons, which were not disclosed.<ref name=bbc_oct>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19842608 |title=Chris Huhne speeding trial adjourned to next year |publisher=BBC News |date=5 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |publisher=Eastleigh Xpress |url=http://www.eastleighnews.org.uk/news/2012/10/05/huhne-ok-for-christmas-light-switch-on/ |title=Huhne OK for Christmas light switch on: Trial postponed til January |work=Eastleigh News |date=5 October 2012}}</ref> A further pre-trial hearing was held at the Crown Court at Reading on 3 December 2012.<ref>{{cite news |author=Caroline Davies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/dec/03/chris-huhne-court-speeding-charge |title=Chris Huhne in court over speeding charges |work=The Guardian |date=3 December 2012}}</ref> On 28 January 2013, Huhne's applications to dismiss the charges against him for lack of evidence and to stay the indictment as an abuse of the process of the court were refused by Mr Justice Sweeney, who ruled that there was a case to answer.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/timeline-chris-huhne-admits-it-after-ten-years-8480154.html |title=Timeline: Chris Huhne admits it after ten years |work=Evening Standard |date=4 February 2013}}</ref> Huhne was arraigned and pleaded "not guilty" to the indictment. A new trial date was set down for 4 February 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21229813 |title=Chris Huhne speeding trial date set |publisher=BBC News |date=28 January 2013}}</ref>
The trial judge was again Mr Justice Sweeney. Counsel for Crown was Andrew Edis QC.<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Cheston |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/chris-huhne-hires-harrys-lawyer-7499221.html |title=Chris Huhne hires Harry's lawyer |work=Evening Standard |date=2 March 2012}}</ref> Huhne's counsel was John Kelsey-Fry QC, while Pryce was advised by solicitor Robert Brown and counsel in the case was Julian Knowles QC.<ref name="Charges">{{cite news |first=Caroline |last=Davies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/feb/16/chris-huhne-vicky-pryce-court |title=Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce appear in court over speeding points allegations |work=The Guardian |date=16 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Caroline Davies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/mar/02/chris-huhne-vicky-pryce-court |title=Chris Huhne and his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, appear in court |work=The Guardian |date=2 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="counsel">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21496566 |title=Vicky Pryce guilty over Chris Huhne speeding points |publisher=BBC News |date=7 March 2013}}</ref>
At the hearing on 4 February 2013 at the Crown Court at Southwark, Huhne pleaded guilty on re-arraignment, and subsequently announced that he would resign as an MP by taking the appointment of the Chiltern Hundreds.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/feb/04/chris-huhne-facing-jail-justice |title=Chris Huhne facing jail sentence after admitting perverting course of justice |work=The Guardian |date=4 February 2013 |accessdate=20 February 2013 |first1=Caroline |last1=Davies |first2=Esther |last2=Addley}}</ref> He also resigned from the Privy Council losing the style "The Right Honourable".{{Cn|date=February 2025}} He was remanded on unconditional bail until his sentencing.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Esther |last1=Addley |first2=C |last2=Davies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/feb/04/chris-huhne-career-destroyed-lie |title=Chris Huhne's career destroyed by a 10-year lie |work=The Guardian |date=5 February 2013}}</ref> The trial of Pryce for perverting the course of justice began on 5 February 2013. She admitted taking Huhne's penalty points in evidence, but claimed that she had been coerced into doing so by her former husband.<ref>{{cite news |first=Caroline |last=Davies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/feb/07/vicky-pryce-chris-huhne |title=Vicky Pryce claims coercion by 'abusive' Chris Huhne |work=The Guardian |date=7 February 2013}}</ref>
On 20 February 2013, after the jury was unable to reach a verdict, the judge discharged the jury and ordered a retrial for Pryce.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21516473 |title=Vicky Pryce jury discharged in Huhne speeding points case |publisher=BBC News |date=20 February 2013 |accessdate=20 February 2013}}</ref> Previously, the jury had asked questions of the judge, including clarifications of "reasonable doubt" and whether they were permitted to come to a verdict "based on a reason that was not presented in court".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21521460 |publisher= BBC News |title=Ten questions posed by Vicky Pryce jury |date=20 February 2013 |accessdate=20 February 2013}}</ref> The judge commented that the jury had an "absolutely fundamental deficit in understanding".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Davies |first=Caroline |date=2013-02-20 |title=Vicky Pryce faces retrial after jury 'fails to grasp basics' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/feb/20/vicky-pryce-retrial-jury |access-date=2024-10-19 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The retrial ended on 7 March with Pryce's conviction by a unanimous jury, and sentencing was adjourned.<ref name=bbc-20130307>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21496566 |title=Vicky Pryce guilty over Chris Huhne speeding points |publisher=BBC |date=7 March 2013 |accessdate=7 March 2013}}</ref>
In February 2013, at the trial{{Which|date=February 2025}} of Vicky Pryce it was revealed that barrister and part-time recorder Constance Briscoe had been arrested in relation to statements she had made to police that she had not had any involvement with the leaking of the driving licence points-swapping story. Briscoe was arrested on 6 October 2012 as a result of a police investigation. No announcement had been made at that time as to the nature of the allegations against her.<ref name=independent-20130226>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/top-female-barrister-constance-briscoe-investigated-over-leaking-chris-huhne-case-court-told-8511662.html |title=Top female barrister Constance Briscoe investigated over leaking Chris Huhne case, court told |author=Ellen Branagh |newspaper=The Independent |date=26 February 2013 |accessdate=26 February 2013}}</ref><ref name=telegraph-20130226>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9894918/Judge-Constance-Briscoe-arrested-for-lying-to-police-about-role-in-exposing-Chris-Huhne.html |title=Judge Constance Briscoe arrested for 'lying to police' about role in exposing Chris Huhne |author=Sam Marsden, Gordon Rayner and Alice Philipson |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=26 February 2013 |accessdate=26 February 2013}}</ref><ref name=briscoe>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/feb/26/vicky-pryce-arrest-constance-briscoe-chris-huhne|title=Vicky Pryce trial: judge arrested on suspicion of lying to police | work=The Guardian|accessdate=26 February 2013|first=Caroline|last=Davies|date=26 February 2013}}</ref> Prosecutor Andrew Edis told the jury that Briscoe and Pryce had "started it together by approaching a man called Andrew Alderson (a journalist working for the Mail on Sunday)", falsely claiming that one of Huhne's aides, Jo White, took points for him in 2003. According to Edis, Briscoe was a neighbour and friend of Pryce and that the "two of them appear to have cooked up a plan" to bring about Huhne's downfall.<ref name=telegraph-20130226/><ref name=briscoe/> On 1 May 2014, Briscoe was found guilty at the Old Bailey of three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, by lying to police, falsifying a witness statement, and providing a false document to an expert witness. On 2 May 2014, she was jailed for 16 months.<ref name ="sentence">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27254145|title=Constance Briscoe jailed for 16 months for lying to police|publisher=BBC|date=2 May 2014}}</ref>
On 11 March 2013, Huhne and Pryce were each jailed for eight months.<ref name="BBC 2013-03-11">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21737627 |title=Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce jailed for eight months|date=11 March 2013 |accessdate=17 March 2013 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
In January 2014, the government announced the defence of marital coercion would be abolished,<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25852073 | work=BBC News | title=Marital coercion defence 'to be scrapped' | date=22 January 2014}}</ref> which was done in May of that year.
===Release=== Huhne and Pryce were both released from prison on 13 May 2013 subject to electronic tagging.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nine-weeks-is-a-long-time-in-politics-vicky-pryce-and-chris-huhne-released-from-prison-but-what-does-the-future-hold-for-them-8612974.html |title= Nine weeks is a long time in politics: Vicky Pryce and Chris Huhne released from prison but what does the future hold for them? |newspaper=The Independent |date=13 May 2013 |author=Grice, Andrew |location= London}}</ref> Huhne is working in sustainable energy.<ref>[http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/2013/chris-huhnes-new-job-sheds-light-on-cosy-relationship-between-decc-and-energy-companies/ Chris Huhne’s new job sheds light on cosy relationship between DECC and energy companies][http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2288176/chris-huhne-gets-job-with-us-energy-firm Chris Huhne gets job with US energy firm]</ref> Pryce has written a book based on her prison experience entitled ''Prisonomics'', analysing women's prisons from the economic point of view.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/28/prisonomics-by-vicky-pryce-review Prisonomics by Vicky Pryce – review]</ref> Royalties will be donated to ''Working Chance'', a charity helping former women prisoners find work.<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prisonomics-Behind-Britains-failing-prisons/dp/1849546223 Prisonomics: Behind bars in Britain's failing prisons]</ref>
==Notes and references== ;Notes {{Reflist|group=n}} ;References {{reflist|30em}}
Category:Trials in London Category:Trials of political people Category:2012 in London Category:2012 in United Kingdom case law Category:2012 in British politics Category:Crime in England Category:Perverting the course of justice Category:Crime in Essex Category:2010s in Essex