//Fatticus best read my whole post " Only when the CPS decide there is a Case are you prosecuted,"
Ta Dah!//
Yes, but you said initially:
//...Police think they have a good chance of a case are you then charged.//
That’s not correct. In all cases which must go to the Crown Court (called “indictable only” offences, which obviously includes murder) it is the CPS who decide whether charges can be brought. They have to operate a two part test. The first part is that they must be sure that there is sufficient evidence to support a realistic chance of a conviction. Only if that is passed do they proceed to the second part, which is to assess whether a prosecution is “in the public interest”. Only when the CPS have authorised charges will the suspect be charged. Prosecution follows (as night follows day) and no further police/CPS authorisation is needed.
//For ‘absolute’ offences like Driving Whilst Impaired Through Drugs or Alcohol there is no need to consult the CPS, there is nothing to dispute, hence my clarification.//
That’s also not quite correct either. With one or two exceptions (principally to do with domestic violence allegations where the alleged victim will not support a prosecution) , the police can authorise charges for any “Summary” offence. These are offences which can only be dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court (which include drink and drug driving). However, the police will very often involve the CPS when excess drug or alcohol offences are being considered. Such offences are certainly not “absolute” as you describe and there are often grounds for dispute. In fact they are one of the most challenged of all driving offences. The procedures the police need to go through are complex and often form the basis of challenge. Many defendants go to trial for these offences on a number of different grounds. Whilst strictly speaking the CPS are not required to authorise such charges, they will often be involved in the charging decision where the suspect makes it known he may not plead guilty. To give you an idea of how complex the issues may be, here’s the CPS charging guidelines for such offences:
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/road-traffic-drink-and-drug-driving