The CPS organised crime division (OCD), which was established to tackle cases involving some of the most serious crime and its proceeds, including drugs offences, human trafficking, immigration, counterfeiting, money laundering and the confiscation of criminals' assets, has received a glowing report from the the crown prosecution service inspectorate.
OCD was formed specifically to deal with cases from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and its lawyers work closely with SOCA during the investigation of cases, as well as during the prosecution process.
The key findings of the inspection, published today, include:
• The quality of decision-making is very good. Cases are prepared for court and managed to a high standard and well presented in court by experienced in-house principal crown advocates or external counsel.
• OCD is highly regarded by its criminal justice partners and stakeholders, both nationally and internationally.
• The Revenue and Customs prosecutions office, which also undertakes casework from SOCA, is in the process of merging with the CPS so that all SOCA work will in future be dealt with by one organisation. This provides an opportunity to combine best practice with value for money identified by each organisation across the range of casework, systems and processes.
Other findings include:
• OCD lawyers are involved in cases at the early stages and liaise closely with investigators to determine potential courses of action and evidence gathering. The records of review decisions were often excellent in the bigger and more complex cases although this was not universally the case.
• Staff have a high degree of specialist expertise and display strong commitment and a professional approach to their cases.
• Case preparation and management is generally good and a high level of successful outcomes (convictions) is achieved.
Stephen Wooler, chief inspector of the CPS, said: "The consistently high standard of casework achieved in relation to the important and difficult cases generated by the Serious Organised Crime Agency is reassuring. It reflects the considerable commitment of staff and managers within the division alike."
In response to the inspection, Peter Lewis, chief executive of the crown prosecution service, said: "I am delighted with this report which recognises the quality of the team at CPS Organised Crime Division. OCD deals with some of our largest and most complex cases, which often span international borders. It is a tribute to the hard work, expertise and commitment of every member of that team, both here and overseas. This report underscores the excellence of the specialised casework divisions that we have developed at the CPS over the last few years."
