It was not a good day for the CPS yesterday. Its annual #VAWG report showed that the number of convictions and prosecutions have fallen to the lowest level since records began 1/8 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/30/prosecution-service-under-fire-over-record-low-convictions

Prosecutions and convictions have more than halved in three years while rape reports have rocketed. Police are referring fewer cases to the CPS, a 40% drop in the last three years, who are charger an even smaller number. 2/8

DPP Max Hill points to referrals as a key factor in the poor figures. But while the charging rate (the % of cases CPS decide to charge from referrals) is up at 58.7% (from 48.2% in 18/19), it is still well below historical standards - it was consistently above 63% until 2017-18

The number of charges being made by the CPS has actually increased slightly, by 6% to 1,867. However, @caelainnbarr worked out that at the current rate of improvement it would take almost 20 years to return to charging rates seen in 2015-16. 3/8

On the Today programme yesterday Hill denied the CPS was sending a message to police not to send them challenging rape cases. We reported police concern about this last year. 4/8 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/sep/13/senior-police-officer-raises-concerns-over-prosecutions

But today - for the first time - police criticised the CPS. The joint chiefs of rape, domestic abuse and charging said: "[W]e are hearing from our officers that it is becoming harder to achieve the standard of evidence required to charge a suspect and get a case into court." 5/8

The backdrop to this is the legal case @EVAWuk has brought against CPS, which accuses them of covertly changing its charging policy. We revealed prosecutors had been urged to drop weaker cases back in 2018 6/8 https://www.theguardian.com/law/2018/sep/24/prosecutors-rape-cases-cps-crown-prosecution-service-conviction-rates

Last time they were in court, Evaw were denied permission to pursue a judicial review against the CPS. yesterday the court of appeal overturned that - so it looks like the pressure won't be off the CPS over its performance on rape for some time yet. 8/8