Potential for ‘better advocacy opportunities’ elsewhere, report finds
A quarter of pupil barristers who joined the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) between 2016 and 2022 left within 12 months of qualifying, it has emerged.
A report by the Criminal Justice Joint Inspection (CJJI), which includes members of the four criminal justice inspectorates of the CPS, the constabulary, prisons, and probation, has found that 45 of the 180 pupil barristers who joined the CPS didn’t stay for more than a year after qualification.
This exodus, the report suggests, “may result from better advocacy opportunities at the independent bar”.
The report also raises concerns that there are “limited opportunities for new starters to learn from seasoned colleagues”, with many practitioners leaving the criminal field and those that remain “already dealing with increased pressures or workloads still remaining from the pandemic”.
It goes on to say that “issues remain with levels of experience and the inherent risks of inexperienced staff assisting and mentoring other inexperienced staff, as well as the further projected loss of a significant cadre of experienced prosecutors through retirement, given the age profile of the senior crown prosecutor cadre”.
It’s not just new barristers that the CPS is struggling to retain, however. Of all the external new starters who joined the CPS between January 2022 and April 2023, 139 left in less than a year. The report also states that roughly 10% of new legal staff left within 12 months.
Whilst the CPS has increased its full time equivalent legal posts by 3% in 2022-23, the service is only able to fund 5,325 positions, 92% of the 5,701 required under its resourcing model.
Elsewhere, the service has sought to boost its recruitment in the apprenticeship field, currently employing 57 solicitor apprentices. The first of these recruits are set to qualify this year.