Equality and Diversity Information
Equality and diversity for the CPS is fundamental to delivering fair prosecutions, achieving equitable employment practice and building the confidence of our communities. Our goal is to be a prosecution service that performs its role fairly and transparently, addresses barriers and disproportionality effectively and works with stakeholders and the public to improve our practice to achieve high quality prosecutions, a better working environment and deliver better justice for all.
The CPS is required to publish equality information to demonstrate its compliance with the General Equality Duty. We regularly publish information to demonstrate how we are meeting the requirements of the duty in relation to our employees and people affected by our policies and practices (victims, witnesses and defendants). These pages provide information on how the CPS is working to:
- Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and people who do not share it
- Foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not share it
The CPS is committed to making equality a day to day reality for employees, in our prosecution policies and practices and in our engagement with communities. These pages provide information on our equality and diversity policies, guidance, impact assessments and performance information relating to our priorities.
Policy and strategy
Title
Equality and Diversity Statement
Description
The statement sets out the CPS's position on the importance of promoting and delivering equality and diversity in the department and in its wider work in ensuring a fair and just Criminal Justice System.
Format
Available online in this section
Equality and Diversity policy statement - PDF
Title
CPS Equality And Diversity Expectations Statement for the Bar
Description
Report benchmarking Chambers' performance against CPS Expectations Statement for the Bar over the period 2007-11.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
CPS Equality And Diversity Expectations Statement for the Bar - English - PDF
CPS Equality And Diversity Expectations Statement for the Bar - Welsh - PDF
Title
Equality and Diversity Benchmarking Report 2007-11
Description
The report sets out the CPS's equality and diversity objectives for the period and explains how the organisation has delivered on those targets. It also outlines CPS plans going forward.
Format
Available online in this section
Equality and Diversity Benchmarking Report 2007-11 - English PDF
Equality and Diversity Benchmarking Report 2007-11 - Welsh PDF
Equality Impact Assessments
Title
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment on the Violence Against Women Strategy and Action Plan
Description
This is the first equality and diversity impact assessment (EDIA) for the Violence Against Women (VAW) strategy.
Format
Available online in this section and to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment on the Violence Against Women Strategy and Action Plan
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment on the Violence Against Women Strategy and Action Plan - English - PDF
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment on the Violence Against Women Strategy and Action Plan - Welsh - PDF
Title
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment on the policy for prosecuting crimes against older people
Description
This report outlines the process for developing and implementing the Crimes Against Older People policy statement and guidance, considers the positive and negative impacts of this policy and makes recommendations to ensure that identified issues are addressed.
Format
Available online in this section
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment on the Policy for prosecuting crimes against older people
Archive publications by year
2010
Title
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2010-11
Description
The Crown Prosecution Service has published its Single Equality Scheme for the period 2010-11. Due to the uncertainty around the legislative programme at the time of its introduction, this is a one-year, interim scheme.
Progress has been made but there is still much to be done. There are many areas that the CPS needs to improve on, as reflected in the feedback we have had from communities in the development of this scheme. This scheme and our action plan are focussed on addressing those issues and we will continue to work with our community partners, with our staff and with our statutory partners to meet our equality and diversity objectives and to comply with all public sector duties.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2010-11 - PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2010-11 Welsh - PDF
Title
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2010-11 Easy Read version
Description
Easy Read version of the Crown Prosecution Service Single Equality Scheme for the period 2010-11.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2010-11 Easy Read - PDF
Title
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-10
Annual Report August 2010
Description
This is the third and final annual progress report on our Single Equality Scheme. The scheme was launched in December 2006. It is a strategy and set of actions to promote equality in the CPS, both in terms of our Service and in terms of our employment practices.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-10 Annual Report August 2010 - PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-10 Annual Report August 2010 Welsh - PDF
2009
Title
Equality and Diversity Policy Statement
Description
Our overall commitments on equality in employment and in the prosecution process.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Equality and Diversity Policy - PDF
Equality and Diversity Policy Summary Statement - PDF
Title
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-2010
Annual Report June 2009
Description
This is the second annual progress report on our Single Equality Scheme. The scheme was launched in December 2006. It is a strategy and set of actions to promote equality in the CPS, both in terms of our Service and in terms of our employment practices.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-2010 - Annual Report June 2009 - PDF
2008
Title
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessments for 2007/2008
Description
This was the fourth EDIA that the CPS commissioned to analyse its charging activity.
The CPS is bound by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Equality Act 2006 to take positive steps to ensure CPS’ core activities, including charging, do not produce unjustified disproportionality in relation to race, disability and gender.
The assessment considered the impact of statutory charging in terms of whether or not charging decisions varied depending on the gender, ethnicity and age of the suspect, and (when charged) the type of offence with which suspects were charged.
Because the extent of disability was only coded for a small percentage of suspects, no analysis was possible.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Equality and Diversity impact assessment of CPS statutory charging: England and Wales: April 2007 to March 2008 - PDF
Title
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-2010
Annual Report June 2008
Description
This is the first annual progress report on our Single Equality Scheme. The scheme was launched in December 2006. It is a strategy and set of actions to promote equality in the CPS, both in terms of our Service and in terms of our employment practices.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-2010 - Annual Report June 2008 - PDF
2007
Title
Equality Impact Assessment of the CPS Advocacy Strategy (February 2007)
Description
The aim of the study was to analyse Higher Court Advocate and Designated Caseworker selection and training by ethnicity, gender, and disability.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Equality Impact Assessment of the CPS Advocacy Strategy (February 2007) - PDF
Title
Prosecution of Cases of Disability Hate Crime. Equality Impact Assessment (Initial report) (July 2007)
Description
The scope of this initial assessment relates to considerations that arose from the wider public consultation and seeks to initially identify any differential in relation to equality target groups.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Prosecution of Cases of Disability Hate Crime. Equality Impact Assessment (Initial report) (July 2007) - PDF
Title
Policy for Prosecuting Cases Involving the Sexual Transmission of Infections (August 2007)
Description
This new policy statement is intended to ensure consistency in casework decisions, protect victims and improve public confidence in the prosecution process.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Policy for Prosecuting Cases Involving the Sexual Transmission of Infections (August 2007) - PDF
Title
Policy for prosecuting cases of Homophobic and Transphobic Hate Crime Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment Report (August 2007)
Description
The revised policy takes into account legislative changes since the first policy was introduced (2002) and emphasises the CPS' commitment to deal effectively with cases of homophobic and transphobic crime.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Policy for prosecuting cases of Homophobic and Transphobic Hate Crime Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment Report (August 2007) - PDF
Title
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment for CPS statutory Charging in England and Wales for the period April 2005 to March 2006 (September 2007)
Description
The assessment considers the impact of statutory charging in terms of whether or not charging decisions vary depending on the gender, ethnicity and age of the suspect, and (when charged) the type of offence with which suspects are charged.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Equality and Diversity impact assessment of CPS statutory charging: England and Wales: For the period ending March 2006 - PDF
Title
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessments for 2006/2007
Description
This was the third EDIA that the CPS commissioned to analyse its charging activity.
The CPS is bound by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Equality Act 2006 to take positive steps to ensure CPS' core activities, including charging, do not produce unjustified disproportionality in relation to race, disability and gender.
The assessment considered the impact of statutory charging in terms of whether or not charging decisions vary depending on the gender, ethnicity and age of the suspect, and (when charged) the type of offence with which suspects are charged.
Because the extent of disability was only coded for a small percentage of suspects, no analysis was possible.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Equality and Diversity impact assessment of CPS statutory charging: England and Wales: April 2006 to March 2007 - PDF
2006
Title
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment for CPS statutory charging in England and Wales for the period September 2004 to February 2005 (August 2006)
Description
This assessment considers the impact of statutory charging in terms of whether charging decisions vary with the gender or ethnicity of the defendant.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment for CPS statutory charging in England and Wales for the period September 2004 to February 2005 (August 2006) - PDF
Title
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-2010
Description
The Crown Prosecution Service has published its first Single Equality Scheme, for the period 2006-2010. The Single Equality Scheme includes the CPS Disability Equality Scheme alongside its Race Equality Scheme and Gender Equality Scheme. The Scheme also sets out how the CPS will build equality and diversity in respect of age, religion or belief, sexuality and gender identity. The Single Equality Scheme is available in a range of formats and community languages upon request.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-2010 - English - PDF
CPS Single Equality Scheme 2006-2010 - Welsh - PDF
2005
Title
Performance Appraisal Ratings: a review and impact assessment (March 2005)
Description
This assessment considered performance ratings to determine if there was any differential in relation to ethnicity, gender and disability.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Performance Appraisal Ratings: a review and impact assessment (March 2005) - PDF
Title
Race Equality Scheme 2005-2008
Description
"Building on Success - Delivering Race Equality". This built on our first Scheme and our wider work on equality and diversity.
Additional Notes
Available as Adobe Acrobat PDF
Race Equality Scheme 2005-2008 PDF
Title
Equality and Diversity Strategy 2005 to 2008
Description
This strategy set out a vision for progress on equality and diversity, and the high-level actions needed to achieve it.
Format
Available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Equality and Diversity Strategy 2005 to 2008 - PDF
2003
Title
Race Equality Scheme Report on Year One 2002-2003
Description
Overview of the work that has been carried out in the first year in order for The CPS to meet its statutory requirements under the Race Equality Scheme.
Title
Race for Justice
Description
A review of CPS decision making for possible racial bias at each stage of the Prosecution Process carried out by Gus John Partnership.
Format
Available online in this section and also to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF
Race for Justice
Race for Justice - PDF
2002
Title
Race Equality Scheme
Description
The CPS organisational plan for implementing race equality over the years 2002-5.
