Structure, Caseload & Conviction Rates

Local Structure

CPS Northamptonshire has one office in the county, in Northampton. There are always 2 lawyers within Corby Police Station and Campbell Square Police - these lawyers provide what is known as pre-charge advice. The CPS decides on all charges in serious cases and, in simple ones, where the defendant has denied or answered "no comment" interviews. Straightforward cases where all is admitted, the custody sergeants can authorise charge.

All cases in the county initially go through the Magistrates' Courts. All cases involving youths and the most serious cases before they are committed to the Crown Court are heard within the Magistrates' Court.  The CPS remains independent from the police but closer working improves the prosecution process.

Cases which are sent or committed to the Crown Court because they are so serious are caseworked by our team of Caseworkers.

Area Secretariat
The Area Secretariat performs the business functions for the organisation.

Caseload

Northamptonshire Crown Prosecution Service gave pre charge advice in 5,384 cases during the period 2007-08 and received over 12,000 cases to be dealt with in the Magistrate Court covering the main towns of Northampton, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, Daventry and Towcester.

The most serious cases (1,200) were heard at the Crown Court sitting in Northampton. The rest were heard at the Magistrates Courts in Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Northampton, Towcester and Wellingborough.

Conviction rate

For the period April 2007 to the end of March 2008, CPS Northamptonshire has achieved an average conviction rate of 98% in the magistrates' courts and 91% in the crown court. The total percentage of cases with unsuccessful outcomes in the Magistrates Court during 2007-08 was 13.7% which is lower than the national average of 14.6%.