Press Releases
Serious Fraud Office serves victims well in its handling of complaints In a new report out today, Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) praises the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) for the way in which it handles complaints. The report found that the SFO receives a low number of complaints, and nearly all related to […]
Published: 25 February 2021
Chief Inspectors: ‘Crown Court delays pose greatest risk to criminal justice’ All four of Her Majesty’s Justice Chief Inspectors have united to express “grave concerns” about the potential long-term impact of Covid-19-related court backlogs on the criminal justice system across England and Wales.
Published: 19 January 2021
Inspection of the CPS reveals more disclosure failings Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI) has today published its latest report on the handling by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of the disclosure of unused material in the Crown Court. The report found that although there has been some signs of improvement, including with the completion […]
Published: 01 December 2020
Inspection of the CPS reveals security breaches A report from Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) has found that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is responsible for a significant number of data security breaches. Inspectors examined 700 cases to see how effectively the CPS handles cases before the first hearing in the magistrates’ courts. […]
Published: 12 November 2020
CPS letters to victims are of unacceptably poor quality A report from Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) has found that two years on, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is still sending poor quality letters to victims of crime. Inspectors looked at 490 letters and rated less than one in four letters (24.1%) as […]
Published: 22 October 2020
Crown Prosecution Service improves charging decisions, but further improvements are needed Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) has today published a report on the quality and timeliness of charging decisions made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The inspection was carried out to analyse the standard of charging decisions after the CPS made significant […]
Published: 29 September 2020
SFO were prepared for lockdown A report from Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) found that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had contingency plans in place ahead of the national lockdown. HMCPSI carried out an inspection to look at the organisations handling of the pandemic crisis following the Prime Minister’s announcement that the UK […]
Published: 30 July 2020
Inspectors impressed with CPS response to lockdown A report from Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) found that actions taken by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) immediately before and during the national lockdown were effective and sound. HMCPSI carried out an inspection to look at the organisations handling of the pandemic crisis following the […]
Published: 30 June 2020
The Crown Prosecution Service deploys agents effectively, but needs to provide them with better support HM Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI) has today published a report on the effective use of agents in the magistrates’ court. In 2018-19, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) used agents in over 1 in 4 magistrates’ court sessions. Agents are lawyers […]
Published: 12 March 2020
CPS starting to address gap in specialist prosecutions for young people Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI) has today published the findings of its latest report on the handling of youth cases by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The inspection revealed regional discrepancies as to how well youth charging decisions and casework is handled. However, […]
Published: 05 March 2020