The CPS’s handling of police witness care correspondence
- Date of publication
- 25 March 2021
- Participating inspectorate
- HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
This inspection examined the CPS’s management of the correspondence it receives from police witness care units (WCUs). It follows our 2019 inspection of the CPS’s handling of defence correspondence.
A WCU’s role is to instigate and maintain contact with victims and witnesses, keeping them informed about the progress of their case and letting them know when they need to attend court. Our inspection focused on communications sent by witness care officers from WCUs to the CPS.
Effective management of correspondence from WCUs has real impact. It can help keep victims and witnesses engaged in a case and attending the trial, and ensure that the CPS has time to make effective decisions about how best to take the case forward. It also helps ensure that contested criminal cases are ready to proceed to the agreed schedule.
The CPS’s handling of police witness care correspondence (402 kB)