Britain’s top prosecutor Alison Saunders slammed by MPs

Britain’s top prosecutor was criticised by MPs yesterday for failing to tackle the fiasco that led to the collapse of dozens of rape cases.

Alison Saunders, outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions, did not spot the ‘extent and seriousness’ of failures to disclose vital evidence to defence lawyers, a damning report said.

The failures led to innocent people being locked up but even then the Crown Prosecution Service underestimated the depth of the crisis. A review was ordered after several rape cases collapsed when it emerged that police and prosecutors had failed to pass key evidence to defendants’ lawyers.

In some instances, the accused were days away from trial when they were told that texts, emails or messages on social media had been uncovered which proved their innocence. The CPS reviewed 3,637 cases in England and Wales between January and mid-February and identified disclosure failings in 47, all of which were halted.

It was decided that disclosure errors were the primary reason in only five cases.

But yesterday the Justice Committee concluded that the CPS had underestimated the number by around 90 per cent. It blamed Miss Saunders for presiding over a worsening crisis as ‘insufficient focus and leadership’ led to long-standing problems with disclosure of evidence going unresolved.

The rape trial of Liam Allan, 22, collapsed when it emerged that police and prosecutors had failed to hand over text messages demonstrating his accuser’s violent sex fantasies. Astonishingly, Mr Allan’s case was not recorded by the CPS as a case affected by disclosure. The Justice Committee said: ‘We do not feel that the Director has sufficiently recognised the extent and seriousness of the failures of disclosure.

‘It is surprising and concerning that the DPP did not know that the case against Liam Allan had not been recorded as a disclosure error at the point that it was stopped. We are also surprised and disappointed that the DPP… does not appear to have pressed for more urgent action to address the worsening situation.’

Since 2013, the number of prosecutions being halted due to disclosure failures has risen 40 per cent. But the committee said the true scale of the problem was far wider.

Miss Saunders said: ‘I have been very clear that addressing the long standing problems in managing disclosure across the criminal justice system is my top priority. Extensive action has been underway over the past year to bring about the necessary change not just in how cases are handled, but in the wider culture within the CPS and policing.’