No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 January 2018
Part I of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 has established a Crown Prosecution Service for the whole of England and Wales. The Service is, inter alia, responsible for the conduct of all police prosecutions (except minor motoring matters) following the institution of proceedings by the police. Police officers no longer present their own cases in court, but the new Service is not intended merely to replace them with professional advocates. The White Paper on which the Act is based declared that an independent prosecution service should be established. This was in order to give crown prosecutors complete freedom to veto, or to modify, the initial decison of the police to prosecute.
I would like to thank all the friends and colleagues who have helped me at various stages in this work, in particular Roger Leng, Owen Lomas, and Ian Scott. I am also grateful to Professor Andrews for his comments on an earlier draft of this article.