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<p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of
suspects referred to prosecutors for a pre-charge decision and the number of decisions
not to prosecute suspects following the charging decision.</p><p>When prosecutors
make decisions on cases, they refer to The Code for Crown Prosecutors. The Code contains
a two stage test which has to be met before a suspect can be charged; the evidential
stage followed by the public interest stage. When deciding whether there is enough
evidence to charge, prosecutors must consider whether evidence can be used in court
and is reliable and credible, and there is no other material that might affect the
sufficiency of evidence. Prosecutors must be satisfied there is enough evidence to
provide a "realistic prospect of conviction" against each defendant. At
the public interest stage the prosecutor must consider whether a prosecution is required
in the public interest. A prosecution will usually take place unless the prosecutor
is sure that the public interest factors tending against prosecution outweigh those
tending in favour.</p><p>The table below shows the volume and percentage of decisions
not to prosecute for evidential and public interest reasons for the West Midlands
Area in each year from 2013/14 to 2017/18.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td
colspan="2"><p><strong>2013-2014</strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>2014-2015</strong></p></td><td
colspan="2"><p><strong>2015-2016</strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>2016-2017</strong></p></td><td
colspan="2"><p><strong>2017-2018</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Volume</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Volume</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Volume</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Volume</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Volume</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>%</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>No
Prosecution - Evidential</p></td><td><p>4,760</p></td><td><p>18.8%</p></td><td><p>5,396</p></td><td><p>16.1%</p></td><td><p>4,580</p></td><td><p>18.7%</p></td><td><p>4,479</p></td><td><p>17.4%</p></td><td><p>3,589</p></td><td><p>13.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>No
Prosecution - Public Interest</p></td><td><p>152</p></td><td><p>0.6%</p></td><td><p>584</p></td><td><p>1.7%</p></td><td><p>165</p></td><td><p>0.7%</p></td><td><p>164</p></td><td><p>0.6%</p></td><td><p>183</p></td><td><p>0.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total
of Evidential & Public Interest</p></td><td><p>4,912</p></td><td><p>19.4%</p></td><td><p>5,980</p></td><td><p>17.8%</p></td><td><p>4,745</p></td><td><p>19.3%</p></td><td><p>4,643</p></td><td><p>18.1%</p></td><td><p>3,772</p></td><td><p>14.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total
Decisions Made</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>25,360</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>
</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>33,600</strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>24,542</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>
</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>25,708</strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>26,026</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>
</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>Data Source: CPS Management Information
System</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table>
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