There is nothing certain about the outcome of a criminal trial. It involves a complex matrix of evidence, procedure and law applied to the uncertainty of constantly shifting sands of live witnesses and changing circumstances. There is no doubt that the skill of the lawyer, in this combatant arena, will inevitably influence the outcome.
Members of the public will be dismayed at the report by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate published yesterday criticizing the slow progress of CPS in-house advocates in their working practices and case presentation.