All Rape Cases To Be 'urgently' Reviewed Over Evidence Disclosure

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42841346

This appears to be much worse than we thought. Time for Alison Saunders to resign perhaps ?

[cassa333]

How little no has she been in charge of the department?

Has thier been a systematic failing because she, or her department made a conscious decision to ignore concerns over an extended period of time?

[cassa333]

Oh for goodness sake auto correct is a numpty sometimes.

How long has she been in charge?

[mikey4444]

I heard some people being interviewed this morning by Humphrys. The CPS budget has been subject to huge cuts over the last few years.

[cassa333]

Where I agree that cuts can have an effect on how much effort is given to cases because of time constraints, it isn't always the fault of the top man so to speak.

However isn't it the polices responsibility to investigate and present evidence to the cps.

[mikey4444]

Cassa....yes, correct. But this doesn't appear to a Police problem. Its the non-disclosure of important facts and evidence from the CPS to defence counsels that is at fault.

[naomi24]

//Time for Alison Saunders to resign perhaps ? //

She said //"We are taking steps to identify any individual cases of concern as a matter of urgency."//

Perhaps she should be applauded for taking those steps.

[mikey4444]

We don't know how long this situation has been going on for. I am not asking for her to resign, merely suggesting that it might be a possibility.

If the practise of non-disclosure has been going on in rape cases, how do we know that its not also been going on in others areas as well ?

[naomi24]

We don't, but if she's addressing the problems in that area why would you like her to resign?

[anotheoldgit]

Hard luck mikey you can't get rid of your opposition like that, much as you would like to.

She should be praised for introducing such measures.

[dannyk13]

It would appear that someone at the CPS has been trying to strengthen prosecution cases by denying the defence vital evidence.

[mikey4444]

Looks like it Danny.

[Peter Pedant]

I told her to go over her decisiion to take more
"he did + I didnt " cases wiv no other evidence to court

she didnt ( I supported an accused who was acquitted in eigfht minutes ) and Allison said - its meant to work like that.

I disagreed - but she is quoted as that
so I conclude she really DID go around saying that

time for her to go

[Peter Pedant]

// but if she's addressing the problems in that area // someone

hahaha good AB speak there - addressing as in the sense of causing

[Deskdiary]

If that is the case danny then it is an utter disgrace.

Unfortunately there appears to be a prevailing assumption that those that accuse people of rape are automatically deemed to be telling the truth and therefore those accused are guilty until proven innocent and evidence supporting the accused is merely an inconvenient truth that needs to be ignored.

[Peter Pedant]

// Has thier been a systematic failing because she, or her department made a conscious decision//

yes conscious - she single handedly decided to take more rape cases to court
and I pointed out that the number convicted might go up but the rate had to go down
and the whole of her dept ( mediaevalists and social economists all of them ) collectively went - ---- er uuugh ?

[ if you order your cases in likelihood to convict then doubling the cases brought inevitably means you are including more drossy cases and so the rate / proportion on conviction inevitably goes down. No one in the dept ( DCL as we call it) cd follow that )

[naomi24]

^I agree.

[naomi24]

^That was to Deskdiary.

[Peter Pedant]

//Unfortunately there appears to be a prevailing assumption that those that accuse people of rape are automatically deemed to be telling the truth//

yes DD but we are post that

there was that supposition and then someone said
oops we shouldnt be doing that
so it was changed to....
your complaint will be taken seriously ....

[Peter Pedant]

//^ I agree//, that was to DD

yeah even I can see you are unlikely to agree to:
"hahaha good AB speak there - 'addressing' as in the sense of 'causing'
even tho it is an opinion that is relevant and could be true

[ToraToraTora]

Essentially the CPS have been withholding evidence that they should have been giving to the defence. Is that not perverting the course of justice?