The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is an important part of the Essay - 1

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is an important part of the English criminal trial process. Critically evaluate the role of the CPS ensuring you include any areas of criticism and calls for reform - Essay Example Although the contemporaries thought that the procedures of trial may offer reasonable means for determining guilt and innocence; in the modern point of view they were not very advantageous for the defense side. Continuous transformation was evident in the trial procedures in statute, judicial discretion and rulings. During the early 19th century the transformation process took a great pace. The credit goes to Robert Peel who initiated the flurry of activities when he became the Secretary of Home Affairs in 1822. One of his significant contributions to the justice system was consolidation and simplification of statute law along with consolidation of procedures for selecting the jurymen. Robert Peel also extended the provision of expenses for witnesses and prosecutors and also gave power to the magistrates for granting bail to the accused. The reforms made by him were also continued by the Whig government that came and pass the Great Reform Act. The most notable thing among Whig’s legal reforms was Prisoners’ Counsel Act in 1836. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) can be explained as the principal public prosecuting authority in England and Wales. It is accountable and responsible for conducting the vast majority of prosecutions that are related to criminal offences within the jurisdiction. It is a non-ministerial department or body of the United Kingdom government that is headed by the Director of Public Prosecution or DPP2. This non-ministerial depart was formed in 1986 and the headquarters of the body is located in London, England. The main responsibilities of CPS include, but are not limited to, providing necessary legal advice to the enforcement officers, police and other investigative agencies during the course of criminal investigations, to decide upon the whether the suspect should face criminal charges following the investigation and also