A defendant cannot be prosecuted unless warned that prosecution would be considered. What is the common name for this warning?

• A. Prosecution notice
• B. Notice of intended prosecution
• C. Intention to prosecute
• D. Warning of prosecution

Answer: (B)

The warning is known as a Notice of Intended Prosecution. In UK road traffic law, before many offences can be prosecuted, the police must serve a formal notice to indicate that prosecution is being considered. This notice gives the keeper or driver the chance to identify who was driving and sets the process in motion for a possible charge. There are timing rules around it (often the notice must go out within a short period after the offence), and if no Notice of Intended Prosecution is properly served, the prosecution may not proceed. This notice, sometimes paired with a request to name the driver, is the official term used in practice, rather than the other phrasing listed.