Informing the FA & the suspect of an NFA

[sqounk]

Hi all. Just wondering if anyone had any experience or knowledge of the time buffer between informing the FA of an NFA, which apparently occurs beforehand and then informing the suspect. Is there a protocol or is it just random - I can't imagine they phone the FA and then the suspect straight after?! I would have thought it would be a week or so - to give the FA an opportunity to ask for a review? Or am I off kilter with this?

[Franticwithworry]

As with everything else, this seems to vary from force to force or even officer to officer. There seems to be no national protocol for anything.

I've heard of people who were notified straight after the complainant and others who were told that the decision had been made months previously, but that the OIC waited for the full 6 months window for the complainant to appeal to elapse before notifying the accused. And othe things in between. In a few exceptional cases, the accused wasn't notified until he asked because the OIC forgot to say anything.

So, others might be able to come in and tell you what SHOULD happen, but it appears from my reading that there is wide variation.

[experience3]

So.....

This is one of the areas in which the Police cheat and you need to understand their mentality.

To give you an idea; due to the FA's sudden erratic behaviour and the police failure to turn up to a "Child Protection Conference" I knew that my original case had been NFA'd.

I was surprised therefore to be later rebailed!

Now, it is worth understanding that the Police do have a "rudimentary" understanding of the law and so whilst they are happy to "forget", "use the procedure to suit themselves" etc etc etc, they do not like to actually lie in writing, or in a minuted meeting.

So.. I wrote to the OIC asking a series of questions, anyone of which would incriminate them to answer in writing, I cant remember exactly what they were now but something along the lines of:

Has my file been sent to the CPS? If so on what date?
Has a case disposal decision been made? If not then when is it expected that a case decision will be made? etc etc etc

Obviously answering those questions would have forced them to admit that an NFA decision had been taken or could have been used to bring actions against them.

Unsurprisingly at the next bail answer - they said the case had been dropped

Obviously this only works if you already know / strongly suspect that an NFA decision has already been taken.