Theresa May hands power to prosecute back to police – The Guardian

Posted May 9th, 2011 in Crown Prosecution Service, news, police, prosecutions by sally

“The power to decide whether a suspect is to be charged is to be taken from crown prosecutors and handed back to the police in more than 80% of cases, the home secretary, Theresa May, will promise.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th May 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tomlinson inquest: Review to test evidence for a criminal trial – The Guardian

“The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, has ordered a review of his decision last year not to prosecute anyone in connection with the death of Ian Tomlinson.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th May 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lawcast 183: Nichola Higgins, Chairman of The Young Barristers Committee on the new CPS panel – Career at the Criminal Bar – Legal aid issues – Charon WC

Posted April 21st, 2011 in barristers, Crown Prosecution Service, legal aid, podcasts by sally

“Today I am talking to Nichola Higgins, Chairman of the Young Barristers Committee. On the 30th March of this year, the CPS announced:

‘The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is today (30/3/2011) launching a new scheme for the delivery of prosecution services in court. All advocates undertaking prosecution work in the Crown Court (and Higher Courts) from October must be members of new, quality-controlled CPS Advocate Panels. The panels will be open to all barristers and solicitor advocates, and panel members will complement and work alongside CPS in-house advocates. Although the overall number of advocates on the panels will be reduced compared to the current lists, selected advocates will have more opportunity to undertake prosecution work. All current counsel lists will be abandoned when the panels commence on 1 October.’

We also looked at the broader health of the Criminal Bar, the impact of legal aid and the prospects for students contemplating a career at the Criminal Bar.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 21st April 2011

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

‘Restoring confidence so victims report rape is key’ – The Guardian

“As the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer is responsible for prosecutions, legal issues and criminal justice policy. Since he took up the post in November 2008, he has had to contend with the case of the death of Ian Tomlinson at the 2009 G20 Summit, the controversy around assisted suicide and has been drawn into the News of the World phone hacking scandal. Now he faces another challenge.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

DPP asks power station protesters to appeal against trespass convictions – The Guardian

Posted April 18th, 2011 in appeals, conspiracy, Crown Prosecution Service, news, trespass by sally

“The 20 protesters convicted of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass after a demonstration at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station have been invited to appeal against their convictions by the director of public prosecutions.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

DPP: Prosecutors and police must protect women in the home – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted April 15th, 2011 in Crown Prosecution Service, domestic violence, police, speeches by sally

“Women in England and Wales are still more at risk of crime in their own homes than anywhere else, the Director of Public Prosecutions said in a speech today entitled ‘Domestic Violence: the facts, the issues, the future’.”

Full speech

Crown Prosecution Service, 12th April 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Murder cases given just one prosecutor as CPS pressured to cut costs – The Guardian

“Barristers and victim support groups have expressed concerns that in some murder trials, including forthcoming cases involving multiple defendants, the Crown Prosecution Service is instructing a single counsel for the prosecution.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law and police chiefs unite on scandal strategy – The Independent

Posted April 12th, 2011 in Crown Prosecution Service, interception, news, telecommunications by sally

“The director of Public Prosecutions and the second-in-command of Britain’s largest police force last night attempted to draw a line under a damaging split between them over whether legal advice limited the original investigation into the phone hacking scandal.”

Full story

The Independent, 12th April 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

CPS opens Advocate Panels application scheme – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted April 4th, 2011 in advocacy, barristers, Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions by sally

“The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is today launching a new scheme for the delivery of prosecution services in court. All advocates undertaking prosecution work in the Crown Court (and Higher Courts) from October must be members of new, quality-controlled CPS Advocate Panels.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 31st March 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Bribery Act: CPS/SFO Prosecution Guidance Published – Crown Prosecution Service

“Today, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Keir Starmer QC, and the Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Richard Alderman, issued joint guidance for prosecutors on the Bribery Act 2010.”

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 30th March 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Phone hacking: Met and DPP clash over legal advice on stolen voicemails – The Guardian

“The phone-hacking scandal has spilled over into an extraordinary public clash between the Metropolitan police and the director of public prosecutions, with each side implying the other has misled parliament.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prosecution of Philip Woolas not in public interest – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted March 22nd, 2011 in Crown Prosecution Service, elections, news, public interest by sally

“Former MP Philip Woolas will not be prosecuted in relation to statements he made about an opponent during the 2010 General Election in Oldham East and Saddleworth.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 21st March 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

DPP says prosecuting disability hate crime is “the next frontier” for the Criminal Justice System – Crown Prosecution Service

“Prosecutors are ‘still in the foothills’ when it comes to prosecuting disability hate crime, the DPP Keir Starmer QC said today (Wednesday ) in a speech to Sussex Law School’s ‘Issues in Criminal Justice’ series at the University of Sussex.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 2nd March 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

CPS decision on Atherstone fire deaths: Three fire service managers face charges of manslaughter – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted March 1st, 2011 in Crown Prosecution Service, fire services, homicide, negligence, news by sally

“Three Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service managers will face charges of manslaughter by gross negligence for the deaths of four firefighters in a warehouse in Atherstone-on-Stour in 2007, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has decided.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 28th February 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Airline worker found guilty of terrorism offences – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted March 1st, 2011 in airlines, Crown Prosecution Service, news, terrorism by sally

“Rajib Karim, a software engineer for British Airways (BA), was found guilty today at Woolwich Crown Court of involvement in preparing a ‘chilling plan’ to blow up a passenger plane.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 28th February 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Judge criticises CPS for prosecuting man for pictures available in bookshops – Daily Telegraph

“A top judge has queried why a man was prosecuted for possessing ‘indecent’ images of children – when the photos were available for sale in a string of respectable mainstream bookshops.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th February 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Retracting rape and domestic violence allegations: CPS launches public consultation – Crown Prosecution Service

“Individuals who retract truthful allegations of rape or domestic violence out of fear are less likely to be prosecuted under proposed new guidance for prosecutors on the offence of perverting the course of justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, said today. But individuals who make malicious false allegations should know they risk prosecution, he said.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 10th February 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Embrace electronic working, criminal law solicitors told – Law Society’s Gazette

“The Law Society has called on criminal law firms to embrace electronic working, as the Crown Prosecution Services seeks to become completely digital by April 2012.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 9th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

DPP’s power to block war crimes arrests is in the public interest – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2011 in Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions, public interest, war crimes by sally

“The director of public prosecutions has disclosed how he proposes to use unique new powers enabling him to block the arrest of visiting foreigners accused of war crimes abroad.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

CPS opens specialist Appeals Unit – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted January 27th, 2011 in appeals, Crown Prosecution Service, news by sally

“The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has established a specialist Appeals Unit that will take on new cases in the appeal courts, including all work involving the Criminal Cases Review Commission and Unduly Lenient Sentences.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 26th January 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk