HMCPSI Annual Report 2020-21

Date of publication
23 March 2022
Inspection
Participating inspectorate
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
Organisation
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate

Annual Report 2020-21 (623 kB)

This report covers our inspection activity for the year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021.

During this period, we revised our programme to suit the changing landscape due to the Covid 19 pandemic. We completed inspections of how both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) responded to the pandemic during the first national lockdown, focusing on the period 16 March 2020 – 8 May 2020.

Our annual report describes the thematic inspections carried out during this time including disclosure of unused material in the Crown Court which was a follow-up to one we reported on in January 2020, SFO handling of complaints and the CPS response to Covid 19: dealing with backlogs.

We also completed two joint inspections; a joint inspection with HMICFRS on pre-charge bail and release without charge, and another joining with the other three criminal justice inspectorates to publish a cross system report on the impact of the pandemic on the criminal justice system.