Report suggests 1 in 10 prosecutions are dropped after charge

A report prepared by the think-tank Policy Exchange entitled In the Public Interest: Reforming the Crown Prosecution service states that 88,000 criminal cases “ one in ten “ that were charged were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution service (CPs) in 2011/12 due to a lack of evidence or because prosecution was deemed not to be in the public interest.  It is alleged that the cost to the taxpayer of the aborted prosecutions exceeds £25 million, before the cost of police time and the impact on complainants is considered.  Recommendations made in the report include a revision of the 'Public Interest' test, which is criticised as being out of line with the general view of the public.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Keir starmer QC said that the report had misunderstood the way that the CPs worked and contained a number of unfortunate inaccuracies.

A full copy of the report can be found by clicking here.