Such charges may be dropped (5)

I believe the answer is:

depth

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'such charges may' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't understand how one could define the other.

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

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(Other definitions for depth that I've seen before include "Military life; vulgarly artificial" , "Measure" , "Measurement from front to back" , "Intensity; profundity" , "Downward extent" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail and the Evening Standard.

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