The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) saved £11.5m last year by using in-house advocates in the Crown court instead of instructing external counsel, its chief said last week.

Keir Starmer QC, director of public prosecutions, also announced that Crown prosecutors across England and Wales are to undergo advocacy assessments to ensure quality.

Starmer said: ‘The delivery of high quality advocacy is a mark of a modern public prosecution service and therefore I am determined that quality will be at the heart of the advocacy service the CPS provides.’

In 2005 the CPS introduced a programme to deploy in-house advocates in all courts across a full range of cases.

Starmer said: ‘In the current economic climate, saving money is essential.’ But he added that, before deciding to use a CPS advocate, chief Crown prosecutors should consider carefully the skills required for the case.

‘In-house advocacy brings about improvement across the board in the services the CPS provides to the public, the police and the courts.’