Law Weblog

Murder cases given just one prosecutor as CPS pressured to cut costs

Thursday 14 April 2011 at 5:05 pm | In News | Post Comment It is reported in the Guardian that murder cases will be given just one prosecutor as the Crown Prosectution Services is pressured to cut costs.

Barristers say the workload is too much for one lawyer while victim support groups fear miscarriages of justice

Barristers and victim support groups have expressed concerns that in some murder trials, including forthcoming cases involving multiple defendants, the Crown Prosecution Service is instructing a single counsel for the prosecution.

The Guardian has learned of a murder case in which a single barrister without a junior counsel has been instructed for the prosecution in a trial with potentially four defendants. Each defendant is likely to have both a junior and leading counsel, meaning that a single prosecutor could face as many as eight defence counsel.

Full report here