SEMI-RANDOM JUSTICE IN BRITAIN

Criminal suspects are up to eight times more likely to go free in some parts of the country than others because of a postcode system of justice, The Times can disclose. A detailed analysis of the work of Britain's prosecutors shows stark differences in conviction rates around the country for offences ranging from dangerous driving to murder. Data obtained by The Times under the Freedom of Information Act established that:

34 per cent of homicide prosecutions in London involving murder and manslaughter failed

Almost 40 per cent of sexual offence prosecutions in London failed

37 per cent of sex crime prosecutions failed nationally

Hundreds of victims of sexual and violent attacks in Bedfordshire were left with their cases unresolved after almost 50 per cent of prosecutions for sex crimes and offences against the person failed. Bedfordshire came bottom of the first, unofficial league table of the Crown Prosecution Service's 42 regional teams in England and Wales, with an overall conviction rate of 76 per cent.

The performance measurement, compiled from casework data spanning an 11-month period, placed Warwickshire on top with a 93 per cent success rate. The statistics also exposed systemic inefficiencies within the CPS, which took 41,000 cases to court then dropped them at the last moment when lawyers offered no evidence.

Conviction rates reflect other factors including the social composition of juries in different crown courts and the contrasting nature of crime in different parts of the country. But the performance figures coincide with growing concern about courtroom prosecution. HMCPS Inspectorate will begin grading the 42 CPS areas next month as excellent, good, fair or poor. The Times has also learnt that Avon & Somerset Constabulary is conducting its own audit of CPS performance in the Bristol area....

Mr Macdonald said that different levels of performance could be explained in part by contrasts between shire counties and metropolitan areas and in different practices. He said that where prosecutors had taken over the task of charging from police officers, performance was improving. But he expressed concern over the low rate of conviction for sexual offences and the collapse of so many cases.

Ian Kelcey, chairman of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association, said that defence lawyers were increasingly frustrated by CPS delays. Mr Kelcey said: "You can write letters for months and never receive a reply, and there are huge differences in levels of efficiency . . . Every delay hampers the smooth running of the justice system."

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