The director of public prosecutions was criticised by politicians and lawyers yesterday after insisting that innocent people were not in jail despite admitting there were “systemic issues” in disclosing evidence.

Alison Saunders was described as “part of the problem” by one Tory MP and “complacent” by a part-time judge after saying that the justice system was working despite failures with evidence leading to a string of trials collapsing.

She met senior police officers, senior representatives of the judiciary and legal professionals yesterday to discuss concerns that vital material is not being disclosed.

Ms Saunders acknowledged in a statement before the meeting: “It is clear that there are systemic issues across the entire criminal justice system. We will be considering what role each of us —