Director of Public Prosecutions questioned by MPs on justice system
Tackling the long delays in court cases coming to trial, the investigation and prosecution of rape, and tensions between the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the police are among the topics likely to be addressed when MPs on the Justice Committee question the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Meeting details
The current incumbent, Max Hill KC, is coming to the end of a five-year term in the job. The Director of Public Prosecutions is the head of the CPS, a government agency employing around 7,000 people – almost half of whom are lawyers engaged in prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the Crown.
There are currently around 60,000 cases waiting to be heard because of capacity issues in the Crown Courts, which deal with the most serious criminal cases including robbery, murder and rape. Delays in cases mean delayed justice for both victims and defendants. Mr Hill will likely face questions regarding effective strategies for addressing this court backlog, especially in light of the Government’s target of reducing the outstanding caseload to 53,000 by 2025.
There have been apparent tensions between the CPS and the police over recent months, following accusations that the CPS have been ‘cherry-picking easy cases’ to boost conviction rates. There have also been calls from police chiefs to return powers which allow them, not just the CPS, to bring charges against suspects in serious cases such as rape and domestic abuse. Mr Hill is likely to be questioned on how relations can be improved.
The Director of Public Prosecutions may also be asked his views on the best ways to prosecute rape and other serious sexual offences in view of the increasing amount of time it is taking for these cases to move through the justice system. This area of questioning is likely to include seeking his opinion on the use of specialist courts and juryless trials. Questions may also be asked about how video evidence is employed where vulnerable victims feel intimidated by either the court environment or the presence of the alleged perpetrator of the crime in the courtroom.