Labour calls for investigation after judges hit out at ‘shambolic’ CPS

 
Seven-point plan: Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry
28 January 2014
WEST END FINAL

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Labour today demanded an independent inquiry into "failings" in the London Crown Prosecution Service.

The attack by shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry follows the Evening Standard’s report of the collapse of a £5 million drug trial at Blackfriars Crown Court — blamed by the judge on CPS cuts threatening to jeopardise a fair trial.

Ms Thornberry said this case was not the first to be sabotaged by CPS failings, pointing the finger at government budget cuts and the recent major structural overhaul in CPS London.

She said: “We need the independent inspector of the CPS to investigate the impact of these changes on the CPS. The CPS has huge potential as an organisation but I fear ministers are taking it in the wrong direction.”

The Evening Standard revealed how the trial of four drug dealers and money launderers was halted after Judge Peter Murphy accused the CPS of “wilful, calculated and prolonged disobedience” of the rules of disclosure and directions of the court.

As a result of his comments the CPS dropped all the charges. It is believed his anger was caused by CPS reluctance to photocopy thousands of pages of extra evidence, and the knock-on effect on the legal aid bill of defence lawyers.

Ms Thornberry highlighted a further London case last June in which Judge Jeremy Gold QC threatened to clear a rape defendant after “lamentable failures” by the CPS to provide “basic documents”.

He said it was a “particularly bad example” of the “wholly shambolic” state of the CPS in London.

Ms Thornberry told the Evening Standard: “These cases are happening against the backdrop not just of 27 per cent cuts and over a thousand job losses, but also coincide with the dismantling by ministers of the systems that were in place to ensure a smooth passage of cases through the criminal justice system.

“There used to be 26 sites in London where police and CPS worked side by side but this has all gone now and the two agencies are back in their silos.”

But her comments were dismissed by the CPS. Baljit Ubhey, London Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: “CPS London is the most improved CPS area in the country in the last nine months. Nearly eight out of 10 of our cases end in a conviction.

“We continue our strong and close working with the police.”

The CPS has denied that decisions on whether to halt cases were based on cost considerations alone.

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