The Crown Prosecution Service needs to become less defensive about complaints from the public, according to the chief inspector of HM CPS Inspectorate (HMCPSI) in his first review of the process.

In a report published this week, inspectors found that the prosecution authority satisfies four out of eight basic principles of an effective complaints system set by the Cabinet Office. It meets standards for speed, confidentiality, effectiveness in dealing with points raised, and monitoring and auditing. However, it failed for ease of access, simplicity, ‘informativeness’ and ensuring a fair investigation.

CPS chief executive Peter Lewis told MPs last week that the complaints system is ‘old fashioned’, ‘defensive’, and insufficiently transparent. ‘We know we have got to do something about that... It is not right now and we have got to deal with it quickly,’ he told the Commons Justice Committee.

In 2007/08, the CPS received 2,252 complaints arising from 1,279,863 cases.

Stephen Wooler, HM Chief Inspector of HMCPSI, said that CPS complaints handling ‘needs revision and substantial updating to meet the principles of best practice’. He called for ‘a cultural shift to ensure a less defensive approach to the handling of complaints’.

The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, said the organisation had already identified a programme of improvement. ‘We intend to take the inspectorate’s recommendations on board and develop a new approach which will represent a cultural shift,’ he said.

Changes will include easier accessibility, greater clarity around what the public can expect, more structured learning from feedback, and more training and guidance to frontline staff, he added. ‘A good complaints procedure reflects a confident, outward-looking organisation. We will review our whole complaints procedure to achieve this so that it is both contemporary and transparent.’