One year ago the Home Secretary announced the introduction of a
pilot scheme to pave the way for the gradual restoration of
charging powers to the police. In her speech on police bureaucracy
on 12 May 2011, Theresa May confirmed that the reforms had received
such a positive response that the pilot would be extended by
doubling the number of charges that the police can now preside
over.
Whilst the CPS will retain the power to charge in the most
serious and complex of cases, it is estimated that the new
proposals will return to the police the power to charge defendants
in 80% of criminal cases in England and Wales. This will reverse to
a great extent the regime which saw the police initially lose
conduct of criminal prosecutions by virtue of the creation of the
CPS (pursuant to the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985) and
latterly, in the course of the last six years, the power to decide
on charge in many offences.
