... CPS begin sifting through the evidence that has been presented to them by the police on behalf of the victim, eventually the CPS make a decision whether to commence a prosecution or to terminate the case (largely based on the Evidential Sufficiency and Public Interest tests). This decision is made on likelihood of gaining a conviction in a court of law, be it the Crown or Magistrates court. So far I have pointed out that even before a trial, many decisions are made to ensure a conviction. This brings into question why the official statistics for conviction are so low. A possible answer to this is that some government figures for 'conviction' apply solely to convictions that consequently result in a jail term, however many hearings take place in the magistrates court for petty crimes such as vehicle tax crime, parking ticket payment and criminal damage. The majority of crimes such ...

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