Chief prosecutor to stand down
Whitehall source says CPS needs ‘clean break’ after Alison Saunders’ contract expires in the autumn
THE head of the Crown Prosecution Service will this week announce that she is leaving her post after the Government declined to extend her contract following a series of controversies.
Alison Saunders will end her term as Director of Public Prosecutions after five years in the autumn, as she faces intense criticism from Tory MPS and ministers following the collapse of a series of rape trials.
Every rape case in the country is under review after the collapse of four rape trials in the space of two months when critical evidence was disclosed days before cases were due to be heard in court.
A Whitehall source told The Daily Telegraph: “It was felt a clean break was needed. Alison’s tenure has been highly contentious, to say the least, and we want someone who can come into this job with a clear agenda. It was made clear that her contract would not be extended.”
One senior lawyer told The Daily Telegraph: “It has been a disastrous tenure, it has reduced the credibility of the role after Keir Starmer. I think that the respect for the profession of the role has been diminished.”
However, an ally of Mrs Saunders said: “She has had a very difficult time. The amount of money available for the CPS is limited, there was a very substantial cut under her predecessor. It left a painful, difficult legacy. In the circumstances, she has done a pretty reasonable job.”
The CPS said that Mrs Saunders had not asked for her contract to be extended.
Mrs Saunders earned £250,000 last year and leaves the CPS with a £1.8million pension pot. She is joining the law firm Linklaters.
Mrs Saunders succeeded Sir Keir Starmer, who is now the shadow Brexit secretary, as Director of Public Prosecutions in 2013.
A career prosecutor, she faced a backlash early in her tenure over Operation Elveden, an investigation into alleged payments by journalists to police officers and other public officials. The investigation cost £20million but ultimately failed to secure the conviction of a single journalist.
Mrs Saunders also faced controversy over Operation Yewtree, an investigation into allegations of historic sex offences involving celebrities. The investigation secured several highprofile convictions, including Gary Glitter, Max Clifford, Rolf Harris and Dave Lee Travis, but drew criticism from other celebrities who were cleared after extensive investigations. They included Paul Gambaccini, the broadcaster, Jimmy Tarbuck, Jim Davidson and Freddie Starr.
She was also forced to make a humiliating climbdown over the prosecution of Lord Janner of Braunstone on child sex abuse charges.
Despite finding there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the former Labour MP, Mrs Saunders ruled that it was not in the public interest because
his medical condition meant he would not be able to take part in the legal process. But a review was ordered after six alleged victims lodged a formal request to explore whether the decision had been correct. It recommended a trial of fact, but Lord Janner died before it could take place.
Ms Saunders most recently faced criticism following the collapse of a series of rape trials. In December last year, the trial of Liam Allan, 22, was thrown out after it emerged that police had failed to disclose texts from a woman that proved he was innocent. The student had been charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault.
In January, Oliver Mears, 19, an Oxford student, was cleared of rape after spending two years on bail, with Surrey Police facing fierce criticism from the judge for the delay in handing over evidence. The collapse of the cases led to accusations that Mrs Saunders was “more interested in convictions than she was in people being tried fairly”.
Nigel Evans, the Tory MP who was acquitted of rape and sexual assault after “11 months of hell”, said: “It meant that a lot of people were dragged through courts only to be acquitted. There seemed to be no recognition of the hell people went through in that process.
“I hope that when she is replaced there will be someone who will back anonymity before charging and that they will ensure that evidence is made available to the prosecution and defence at the earliest possible moment.
“Clearly there have been cases that are collapsing one after the other because of late disclosure. I want to see a new broom sweep clean, to make sure that justice is fair, justice is blind and there is equality of justice for everyone.”
A spokesman for the Attorney Gen- eral said: “In line with her predecessors, the DPP was appointed for a five-year term which ends in October 2018. The DPP did not ask for an extension to her contract… A competition to recruit her successor will be launched later this week. Only one DPP has had their contract extended, Dame Barbara Mills, immediately prior to the 1997 general election.”
A CPS spokesman said: “The criminal justice landscape is changing rapidly, as crime trends shift and courts become digital. Our work is increasingly complex, with the evolving nature of economic crime, the ongoing terrorism threat and a huge increase in reports of historic sexual abuse.
“Under Alison Saunders’ leadership, the CPS has adapted to that changing environment, maintaining performance without compromising our core principles of independence and fairness.”