The hurdles of going private

ANYONE can bring a private prosecution but they face considerable financial and logistical hurdles to get a conviction.

Emily Hunt believes she is the first person in British legal history to try to bring a private prosecution for rape. The strongest cases often involve charities and campaign groups, such as the RSPCA, which regularly puts those suspected of animal cruelty in the dock.

Anyone hoping to mount a prose- cution must demonstrate there is sufficient evidence to secure a guilty verdict and that they are not acting out of spite.

Alison Saunders, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, can seize control at any stage after requesting all of the evidence. This could be to bring it before a jury herself if it is in the public interest and likely to lead to a conviction. But it could also be to shut the case down when these tests are not met.