FEBRUARY 2019 MEETING REPORT

A PRESENTATION by JENNY HOPKINS

Chief Crown Prosecutor for the South East

There was a large turnout for the February meeting to hear the speaker, Jenny Hopkins, originally from Swansea, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor at the CPS for the East of England. Before beginning her talk, Jenny invited the audience to ask questions during her delivery. She gave a brilliant, witty and enlightening talk on the reasons why the CPS had been set up and the parameters within which it operates. Its remit covers England and Wales only. Responsible to the Attorney General, but acting completely independently, it advises the police on whether the evidence collected is sufficient, or rather needs to be supplemented in order to proceed with a prosecution. The CPS does not  investigate crimes or choose which offences should be prosecuted. She gave examples of situations when it was and when it was not deemed to be in the Public Interest To Prosecute. Costs are rarely a factor. Where a decision to not proceed with a prosecution is made, a Victim’s Right To Review might be implemented. The Attorney General may be asked  to review a sentence which is considered to be too lenient. Interestingly, whilst Reasonable Chastisement is available as a defence to a charge of Common Assault in England, in Wales the Welsh Government has introduced plans to remove this defence. Jenny’s topic and her delivery generated a wealth of interesting questions from an interested audience.  Having heard her lecture, the writer of this report wonders why the CPS often receives a hostile popular press response. Surely the editors and journalist are not unaware of the parameters which govern the workings of the CPS?  A cynic may say that it’s because it improves circulation!

Jenny Hopkins

JENNY HOPKINS is presented with a society enscribed slate coaster by Vice President Liz Armishaw