Report: 13% of CPS cases are stopped

A report says more than one in 10 criminal cases brought to court by the Crown Prosecution Service are terminated.

Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) called for a change of culture so that "all charges ... will ordinarily be pursued" in the courts.

The Government has set a target for 1.2 million extra cases to be brought to justice each year by 2005-06.

At the moment there is a "justice gap" - the difference between the number of crimes recorded by police and the number of crimes where an offender is brought to justice - of millions a year.

HMCPSI's new report said today the CPS had only a "modest" effect on the justice gap, with the police's role being more significant.

But 13% of the CPS caseload was terminated, one third of which were traffic offences which do not contribute towards the "justice gap" targets.

Theft and fraud made up nearly 22% of terminated cases, and assaults made up 20%.

It noted there was a "potential tension" between the Government's "justice gap" targets and the fact that some cases were dropped on public interest grounds because defendants had been sentenced for other crimes or were already in jail.

The report called for closer working between police and prosecutors, more effective initial case review and "more robust case management".

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