Saunders’ exit welcomed as MPS hit out at CPS failings

INNOCENT people could still be convicted today because of the Crown Prosecution Service’s failure to tackle problems with the disclosure of evidence, the chairman of the Commons justice committee has warned.

In a damning indictment of Alison Saunders, the outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions, Bob Neill, a barrister and veteran Tory MP, said if she had not already announced her departure he would be calling for her “to consider her position”.

Published today, a report by the justice committee of MPS claimed that Ms Saunders had failed to get to grips fast enough with the evidence disclosure failings that had led to a series of abandoned trials. She had demonstrated a lack of “focus and leadership” it said.

The MPS added that as a result of disclosure failings, “miscarriages of justice” have occurred that could have been prevented if crucial evidence had been handed over correctly.

The report notes that the CPS may have underestimated the number of cases thrown out due to disclosure errors by 90 per cent, and that the problem had persisted for “far too long, in clear sight” of those working within the system.

It comes several months after confidence in the criminal justice system was rocked by a string of rape and sexual assault trials that collapsed after it emerged vital evidence was not passed to defence lawyers. The most high profile case, the trial of Liam Allan, 22, charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault, was dismissed when it emerged a computer disk seen by police held messages from his alleged victim pestering him for “casual sex”.

The collapse of Mr Allan’s case was followed by a string of other botched trials, leading Theresa May to order the Attorney General to launch a review of the disclosure system.

Last night, Mr Neill told The Daily Telegraph there had been a “lack of urgency” and even “defensiveness” from the CPS over the scandal.

In a further swipe at Ms Saunders, he added that the new director, who is due to be announced later this year, would need to be someone who had “real hands-on experience of actually prosecuting someone ... at a serious level”.

He then said: “I think I would have been calling for her to consider her po- sition, were it not for the fact she was already leaving.”