3:38pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Mhairi Macfarlane
THE chief prosecutor for London has promised to improve services after a damning report on falling conviction rates in the capital.
Alison Saunders said a report by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), which showed prosecutors were failing in their duty to bring criminals to court, “highlighted a number of areas that need improvement”.
Of the total of 134,389 people to be successfully prosecuted in London last year, she said 2,741 were people who committed crimes in Waltham Forest.
She said: “Crime affects everyone in a local community and I know that it is a big concern for so many of you. My teams in Waltham Forest and across London are working with the police, the courts and our other criminal justice partners to provide the best service we can.
“However, you may have seen some coverage lately about CPS London following on from an inspection into the work we do. The report highlighted a number of areas we need to improve and we are already putting in place plans to do just that.”
Areas needing improvement, she says, includes getting cases prepared on time by recruiting more lawyers and training more staff to do preparation work.
Applications for “special measures” such as screens for witnesses or victims in court cases, has also been set as a priority task for the CPS.
Ms Saunders said she hopes Waltham Forest residents will see results from these changes “soon”.
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