Crown Prosecution Service region: West Midlands

As part of our Area Inspection Programme, we are assessing all 14 CPS Areas against a consistent inspection framework. Each Area will be subject to a baseline inspection and follow-up inspection within a three-year period

Between October 2019 and February 2020, we inspected the police and Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) responses to pre-charge bail changes and the use of released under investigation (RUI).

The CPS uses agents – lawyers not directly employed by the CPS – in just over a quarter of all cases presented in the magistrates’ courts. This inspection report reviews this practice and identifies recommendations, issues to address and examples of good practice.