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Criminal Justice Project

Our Minister, Lord Macdonald, asked the PST to complete a project on the criminal justice system. We are looking at the processes and bureaucracy involved in dealing with an offender from arrest through to judicial disposal.

Identifying and understanding the issues

In the scoping phase of the project, key stakeholders in the criminal justice system (including the Lord Chancellor’s Department, the Court’s Service, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office) were identified and interviewed to gain a broad understanding of how the criminal justice system works and the inter-link between the organisations working within it. Research was undertaken to reinforce and inform the emerging themes. Combined, this provided a snapshot of the criminal justice system, which informed a semi-structured questionnaire for use in interviews with front line staff.

Approximately 200 semi-structured interviews with front line staff were conducted during February to April 2002. During these interviews the staff were encouraged to be frank with their views and were challenged to suggest alternative solutions to the issues of burdens they raised. In the course of our research, we spoke to operational police officers, CJU staff, CPS lawyers and caseworkers and those working within the courts and members of the judiciary, including the Senior Presiding Judge

Initiating and obtaining commitment to address the issues

An initial analysis of the burdens highlighted by front line staff was undertaken. We then discussed these and the background policies behind the burden causing processes with appropriate stakeholders. Our aim was to jointly develop solutions to alleviate the burdens but still fulfil the purpose of the background policies. The outcome was a series of time-bound agreements by stakeholders to implement changes that would reduce burdens on frontline staff.

Making a Difference

‘Making a Difference: Reducing Bureaucracy and Red Tape in the Criminal Justice System’ (PDF 56323kb), was launched on 21 May 2003. It delivered 85 tangible outcomes. These represent commitments from relevant departments or agencies to reduce or remove burdens from frontline staff within the Criminal Justice System. The Public Sector Team will monitor and evaluate the implementation of these commitments over time.