HMRC warned over barristers

HM Revenue & Customs prosecutors have relied too heavily on too small a pool of barristers to fight cases, the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts said this week.

According to its report on the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO), one set of chambers, 18 Red Lion Court – where RCPO director David Green QC was previously resident – earned more than £11m between 2003 and 2008. In the same period, three sets earned between £5m and £7m, and 13 sets earned more than £1m.

‘Reliance on a few specialist suppliers may create excessive dependency and the perception of a cosy relationship,’ the committee said.

The committee also recommended that the prosecution office, Crown Prosecution Service and Serious Fraud Office ‘align more closely their processes for appointing counsel and managing their fees’.

Green told the committee that few barristers are capable of prosecuting major frauds and that expertise is concentrated in a few chambers.

The RCPO prosecutes for Revenue & Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency.