The law firm Mishcon de Reya is bringing an action to force the Prime Minister, whoever she (or just conceivably he) may be, to obtain Parliamentary approval before issuing that all-important Article 50 notification.
The CPS says the case passes its “evidential test.” They believe they have evidence which makes a conviction more likely than not. The reason for not proceeding is that, in the view of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, a prosecution “would not be in the public interest.”
The announcement has been greeted with outrage. According to one, unnamed, complainant quoted on the Leicestershire Police website:
“This animal is still being protected because [of his status] and isn’t able to stand trial. They say that it’s not in the public interest, but isn’t it in the public interest to know what his victims have gone through at the hands of this man?”
It seems quite unprecedented for an investigating police force to quote someone describing an unconvicted individual in such terms.
There are two questions:
Why did Ms Saunders find that a prosecution was not in the public interest?
