Inspectors highlight effective leadership in CPS London North
CPS London North has effective leadership, manages its resources well and works well with partners to deliver improvements to the criminal justice system, according to a report published today by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI).
The report also highlighted how effectively the Area, which was created in April 2017 and prosecutes criminal cases in north London courts, is using performance analysis to drive improvement and identified a number of areas of good practice, including the extended use of case management panels to drive up casework quality and improve lawyer capability.
The report is part of a rigorous ongoing programme of inspections of CPS geographical Areas. It looks at how well the Areas perform against the delivery of organisational priorities.
The report also recognised the positive strides that have been made by the Area in the management of the disclosure process. This has included the delivery of training, the introduction of new processes to support prosecutors in delivering disclosure obligations, and a joint improvement plan agreed with police partners in London.
However, the Inspectors highlighted that more needed to be done to improve casework quality, the standard of files received from the police and to ensure that disclosure responsibilities are met. The Area is working closely with the police to make these improvements and the report recognises that work has been done already in this respect. It also highlighted aspects of victim and witness care that need to be improved, including letters sent when cases are stopped or charges are changed.
Ed Beltrami, the Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS London North, said: "We welcome this report, which accurately reflects the areas in which we are performing well and where we need to improve.
"While we know there are improvements that we have to make, I hope it shows that we are making progress and that victims and witnesses in London can have confidence we are continually striving to deliver the quality service they want and deserve.”
Mr Beltrami added: “We have made significant progress to ensure that the workplace in CPS London North embodies a culture of fairness and respect and are pleased that the Inspectorate has recognised the work done in this respect."