749th day of the Tens

The Crown Prosecution Service Announces Appointments To New Advocate Panels

The anxious wait ends today for barristers and solicitors from around England and Wales who applied to join the new Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel.
The CPS operates as the country's largest law firm, and now draws on a refreshed pool of high quality advocates to act on its behalf in the Crown Court and Higher Courts.
Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: “The creation of the CPS Advocate Panel is a turning point in prosecution advocacy which will shape the way in which we instruct cases for the next generation of advocates. It is crucial that the CPS can instruct the very best advocates to present our cases from both within and outside the organisation, and this scheme means we now have a pool of quality assured barristers and solicitors with the talent and experience to do that,
“Of those who applied, nearly three quarters (74 per cent) were successful in gaining a place on the panel at the level they applied for, with a further 17 per cent being offered a position at the next panel down,” said Starmer.
“Previously, advocates were selected from a list of around 4,500 individuals and the CPS will now draw on a pool of about 2,580 successful applicants who have been through an open and rigorous selection process,
“As a result of this process those members of the self-employed Bar and solicitors who have a place on an advocate panel will now have a greater opportunity to undertake advocacy work on behalf of the CPS,” concluded Starmer.
Advocates who applied found themselves placed in one of four levels, so that the work given to them, at the very least, matches their ability, knowledge and experience. About 236 or nine per cent of applicants did not succeed for a place on the panel, although 75 of those remain on a reserve list.
Applications came from 2,816 candidates, and now that their applications pass through evaluation and moderation by members of the CPS and the independent Bar, 2,580 barristers and solicitors have succeeded in their applications and shall begin providing the CPS with quality-assured advocacy. The CPS expects that the Panels shall come into operation from 1 February.
Mr Starmer said: "The scheme was developed in close co-operation with the Bar Council, and was run with the assistance of many members of the independent Bar itself. We are grateful for their support, and for the positive feedback we have received on the thoroughness, fairness and transparency with which the scheme was conducted. We are also grateful to the Law Society and their broad support of these proposals on behalf of solicitor advocates,
"Applicants will be told of the result of their application in the coming days and the selection process for the specialist Panels to be used by the CPS Central Casework Divisions will now begin."
Any applicants who do not succeed have the right to appeal that decision. Those advocates who currently represent the CPS in ongoing cases and have not been successful in obtaining a place on an Advocate Panel will continue to represent the CPS until their cases come to an end.



SOURCE: http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/press_releases/101_12/