NCJ Number
104658
Date Published
1986
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article presents the views of the Prosecuting Solicitors' Society of England and Wales on the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, which establishes the Crown Prosecution Service to conduct the prosecution of criminal cases formerly conducted by the police.
Abstract
The society advocated basing the new prosecution service at the local level, but Parliament established a centralized national service. The society applauds amendments and assurances by ministers that will foster a high degree of local autonomy for prosecution services. The society supports making local units of the new service conterminous with existing police force jurisdictions. The society also favors efforts to train prosecutors in each jurisdiction in the prosecution of juvenile defendants. Another concern of the society pertains to some of the logistics and implications of the prosecutor's power to dismiss charges initially lodged by police. Other issues of concern to the society are the rights of audience given Crown Prosecutors in any court, the reports and publication of prosecutorial guidelines, the system for paying counsel's fee and defendant's costs, the Attorney General's reference on sentence, and time limits for the preliminary stages of criminal proceedings. 1 note.