Select Committee on Home Affairs Minutes of Evidence


INTRODUCTION OF THE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE AND THE CRIMINAL DEFENCE SERVICE

1.  BACKGROUND

  1.1  The CPS welcomes the introduction of the Community Legal Service and the Criminal Defence Service as an agency for the defence with whom we can work constructively around the CJS table to improve the effectiveness of the service we provide. The move to contracting should improve efficiency by removing existing disincentives in the system which reward adjournments, ineffective hearings and late pleas of guilty.

2.  CONTRACTS FOR ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE

  2.1  The CPS was consulted about the introduction of Contracts for Advice and Assistance which should increase competition for work and offer opportunities for improving quality, encouraging accountability, reducing inefficiency and generally securing better value for money. The decision to abolish the means test was also welcomed as a means of reducing delay.

  2.2  It is hoped that by setting quality standards and controlling payment, the Criminal Defence Service can emerge as a national defence agency, able to take its place at the criminal justice table, and play an active part in delivering future initiatives.

  2.3  Although it seems inevitable that there will be a general erosion in the number of franchisee/contractors, some care will be needed to ensure that less populous parts of the country are adequately served.

3.  HIGH COST CASES

  3.1  We welcome the opportunity of working alongside the CDS in its development of contracts for high cost cases, both to share good practice derived from our use of Case Management Plans, and to ensure that appropriate parity can be achieved in determining the broad value of these cases. We have recently discussed the three stage plan to resolving the disparity between prosecution and defence fees with the Bar, and will be working with them in the development of these arrangements.


 
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