Prosecuting Solicitor's View (From Police: Powers, Procedures and Proprieties, P 211-223, 1986, John Benyon and Colin Bourn, eds. -- See NCJ-158031)

• NCJ Number: 158049
• Author(s): C Woodcock
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: Pergamon Press Limited
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

The Prosecuting Solicitors' Society of England and Wales has over 800 members engaged full-time in prosecuting criminal offenses on behalf of the police and other public bodies, and the Prosecution of Offences Act of 1985 has had a significant effect on their operations.

Abstract

The act provides for an enlarged Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to operate as a uniform national system throughout England and Wales, even though prosecuting solicitors prefer a locally accountable system. The DPP has divided England and Wales into areas, and each area is the operational unit of the Crown Prosecution Service. In general, the act's primary objective is to provide a system under which there is an independent review by lawyers of every prosecution at an early stage. Deficiencies in the act concern costs incurred by defendants when a case is dismissed and defendant rights. The act contains guidelines for recordkeeping by the DPP and solicitors and provisions on counsel fees and prosecution costs; it also specifies time limits on criminal proceedings. 1 note