AC3.1/.3/.4 CPS

Question 1

Aims and objectives of the CPS

Answer 1

decide whether to prosecute
decide charge
prepares cases for court
informs and supports victims and witnesses

Question 2

Funding of the CPS

Answer 2

£500m per year
-central government
-recovering assets from criminals
-costs recovered from defendants

Question 3

Philosophy of the CPS

Answer 3

independence & fairness
honesty and openness
treating everyone with respect
behaving professionally

Question 4

Working practices of the CPS

Answer 4

deal with a large variety of criminal acts and offenders
national body with 14 regional teams (each with their own head)

Question 5

What are the limitations of the CPS?

Answer 5

Finance:
-25% of budget cut resulted in loosing 1/3 of the staff. meant time taken to prosecute increased more than usual

Crimes with Moral Imperatives:
(overriding sense of what is right)
-people will act in a way that they believe is morally correct even if it is against the law
-e.g, Kay Gilderdale = assisted suicide of her ill daughter. Cleared if attempted murder.

Question 6

How effective are the CPS?

Answer 6

+84% of defendants prosecuted are convicted
+CPS responsible for over 80,000 prosecutions in Crown and 450,000 in Magistrates in 2018
+use of full code test

-prosecutions of rape cases falling despite increases in reporting
-budget cuts
-e.g, Damilola Taylor case
-long waiting period

Question 7

Overall judgement of the CPS effectiveness in achieving social control

Answer 7

Overall, I believe the CPS are effective because they provide reliable evidence from the police and are qualified professionals. However, they lack effectiveness due to long processing times and unequal prioritisation of cases (rape cases).