I was interested to read that the Crown Prosecution Service says its figures for guilty pleas and conviction rates have increased since the introduction of CPS Direct.


This is entirely in line with my own perception of things as a criminal defence solicitor. However, my own experience and anecdotal evidence from colleagues and the police would suggest that the actual rate of charging at police stations is being reduced by a significant amount, so that it is entirely possible that, in terms of actual numbers of people, there are fewer being convicted (whether on plea or after trial) than was the case before the introduction of the present system.


Peter Belshaw, Belshaws, Stockport