Third of criminal law barristers consider leaving jobs as CBA launches direct action – Legal Futures

‘The depth of despondency among criminal law barristers has been revealed in a survey as direct action by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) began on Easter Day.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd April 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

CPS rules out review of Poppi Worthington’s death – The Guardian

‘Poppi Worthington’s mother has said she may never learn the “devastating truth” behind her daughter’s death after prosecutors ruled out a review of the case.’

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The Guardian, 15th March 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fluctuating hate crime figures prompt CPS and police to reexamine cases – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Crown Prosecution Service is working with six police forces to reexamine their hate crime cases to see if the correct decisions were taken following a significant drop in referrals, the director of public prosecutions has revealed.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 7th March 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Evidence not being disclosed on a daily basis, lawyers say in survey – BBC News

Posted February 28th, 2018 in criminal justice, Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, news, solicitors by sally

‘More than 1,000 criminal lawyers in England and Wales have experienced disclosure of evidence failings in the last year, according to a BBC survey.’

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BBC News, 27th February 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Third of all lawyers believe disclosure problems have led to miscarriages of justice – Daily Telegraph

‘The scale of the disclosure crisis facing the criminal justice system has been laid bare, after a survey found that half of all lawyers were now running into problems on a daily basis and a third saying they believed it had resulted in wrongful convictions.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th February 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Julian Assange saga: judge to rule on arrest warrant – The Guardian

Posted February 13th, 2018 in bail, Crown Prosecution Service, news, proportionality, warrants by sally

‘It is nearly six years since Julian Assange disguised himself as a motorcycle courier and entered the Ecuadorian embassy in London to seek political asylum. His subsequent legal battle, so vast and protracted a CPS lawyer once deemed it “like an industry in itself”, comes to a pivotal moment on Tuesday, when a judge will rule on whether the warrant for his arrest has become disproportionate.’

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The Guardian, 13th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sweden tried to drop Assange extradition in 2013, CPS emails show – The Guardian

Posted February 12th, 2018 in Crown Prosecution Service, extradition, foreign jurisdictions, news, warrants by tracey

‘Swedish prosecutors attempted to drop extradition proceedings against Julian Assange as early as 2013, according to a confidential exchange of emails with the Crown Prosecution Service seen by the Guardian.’

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The Guardian, 11th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge takes swipe at “collapsing” justice system as CPS failures cause yet another sex trial to collapse – Daily Telegraph

‘A judge has taken a swipe at the “collapsing” justice system as CPS failures cause yet another sex trial to collapse.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Solicitor for student in rape case criticises police and CPS – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2018 in Crown Prosecution Service, news, police, prosecutions, rape by sally

‘The solicitor representing the student at the heart of a collapsed rape trial has dismissed a police and prosecution review of the case that resulted in an apology to her client as disingenuous and warned that the police’s determination to obtain convictions overrides their attention to other duties.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Underfunded justice system ‘crumbling’, top criminal barrister says – The Guardian

‘Failures to disclose evidence in rape prosecutions are a sign of the “dystopian disaster” engulfing the criminal justice system that has been caused by chronic government underfunding, the head of the criminal bar has warned.’

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The Guardian, 29th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police forces and prosecutors failing to carry out ‘basic’ procedure in rape cases, Attorney General says – Daily Telegraph

‘The failings which have lead to a nationwide review of all live rape and serious sexual assault cases were caused by police forces and prosecutors not carrying out “basic” procedure, the Attorney General has suggested.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Disclosure – Joint statement from Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions and Sara Thornton, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council – Crown Prosecution Service

‘”Today we met with Chief Constables to discuss further how we can improve the disclosure process.’

Press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 24th January 2018

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Hundreds of cases dropped over evidence disclosure failings – BBC News

Posted January 24th, 2018 in Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, news, police, rape, statistics by tracey

‘The number of prosecutions in England and Wales that collapsed because of a failure by police or prosecutors to disclose evidence increased by 70% in the last two years, the BBC can reveal.’

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BBC News, 24th January 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Stay silent during rape and attackers may assume consent, warns DPP – The Guardian

Posted January 23rd, 2018 in consent, Crown Prosecution Service, evidence, news, noise, prosecutions, rape by sally

‘Rape victims have been warned by the director of public prosecutions that if they stayed silent during the assault their attackers may have assumed consent was given and therefore could escape being charged.’

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The Guardian, 22nd January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

No one innocent is in prison due to disclosure failures, claims DPP after string of rape cases collapse – The Independent

Posted January 19th, 2018 in Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, news, prosecutions by tracey

‘Britain’s most senior prosecutor has claimed that no innocent people are in prison because of failures to disclose vital evidence, despite admitting there is a “systemic issue”.
Critics dismissed Alison Saunders’ assurance as “impossible” as they follow the collapse of several high-profile rape cases which were undermined by phone messages and pictures uncovered by lawyers.’

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The Independent, 18th January 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Oxford University student cleared of rape charge as yet another case collapses days before trial begins – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 19th, 2018 in Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, news, police, prosecutions, rape by tracey

‘An Oxford University student has become the latest accused rapist to have his case dropped against him after two years on bail amid wider public concern about the actions of police and prosecutors.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

We need to improve disclosure, CPS admits as rape trial abandoned – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 17th, 2018 in Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, news, rape by tracey

‘The Crown Prosecution Service has admitted that it needs to improve its disclosure of unused material after a rape trial was abandoned yesterday because vital phone evidence was not disclosed.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th January 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

John Worboys victims demand CPS reassess 93 allegations against him – The Guardian

‘Lawyers representing victims of the serial sex attacker John Worboys are demanding prosecutors reassess 93 cases for which he was not previously prosecuted.’

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The Guardian, 11th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge criticises prosecutors after another blunder in a sex case – Daily Telegraph

‘A judge has criticised prosecutors after they failed to hand over crucial evidence that could have exonerated a wealthy businessman standing trial for alleged sexual assault.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Student wrongly accused of rape says he will sue police and CPS as he questions why he was made to stand trial – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 18th, 2017 in Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, news, police, rape by sally

‘A student wrongly tried for rape after police failed to hand over vital evidence that exonerated him has vowed to sue the police and the CPS as he called for a change to the system.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk