The statutory charging scheme has only been in place for a short period of time and represents a significant cultural, structural and procedural change for both the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (see [2005] Gazette, 3 February, 18).

Locally, West Midlands Police and the CPS fully recognise this and will build on our existing very good working relationships to improve the effectiveness and quality of justice in the area. Already the scheme is delivering a better standard of evidence, leading to a better prospect of conviction and early guilty pleas. This in turn will mean a better deal for victims and witnesses through the avoidance of unnecessary attendance at court.


The scheme will better join up the police and CPS and improve the effectiveness of the prosecution team. Over time, this will increase the number of persons charged/summonsed for criminal offences and the number of offences brought to justice.


Due note is taken of the potential for financial hardship for law firms, but the west midlands local criminal justice board is primarily concerned with delivering an effective and efficient criminal justice system in which the public can have confidence. It is also of significance that the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the west midlands attends Law Society meetings and that the president of the local law society also attends local criminal justice board meetings.


The charging scheme is an integral part of the wide- ranging criminal justice reform agenda being delivered in the west midlands and is playing its part in increasing local confidence in the criminal justice system. People in the west midlands are currently much less likely to be victims of crime. If they are unfortunate enough to be a victim, there is a much greater chance of the offender being brought to justice than in other metropolitan areas.


Anil Patani, Assistant Chief Constable (Criminal Justice), West Midlands Police, Birmingham