Pre-Charge CPIA Engagement - Practical Guidance for Criminal Lawyers

Introduction

Pre-charge engagement is now firmly embedded within the criminal justice process, but what does it mean in practice for prosecutors and defence lawyers? This short webinar provides a practical guide to the current framework under the Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure, exploring how pre-charge engagement can be used effectively and safely before charging decisions are made.

This webinar will cover its purpose, the types of cases most likely to benefit and the roles and responsibilities of investigators, prosecutors and defence representatives. It will consider issues including no comment interviews, digital material, reasonable lines of enquiry, expert evidence, disclosure and defence funding.

It will also examine the interaction with the CPIA and Criminal Procedure Rules Part 3, using practical examples to highlight potential pitfalls, including evidential risks, record-keeping obligations and subsequent admissibility challenges.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• The purpose of pre-charge engagement
• Typical cases suitable for pre-charge engagement
• The roles of prosecutors and defence lawyers
• Anticipating disclosure, digital evidence and expert issues
• Funding for defence lawyers