questionText: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the availability of costs recovery to defendants when the Crown Prosecution Service withdraws a case on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
answerText: Defendants facing trial at the magistrates’ court or Crown Court may apply for legal aid to pay for their defence costs; this covers the cost of preparing the case and providing legal representation. The evidence provision fee, which was introduced in 201...
heading: Criminal Proceedings: Acquittals