Code for Crown Prosecutors - statement dated 16th July 2009

On 29 January, the Crown Prosecution Service announced the launch of a 12 week consultation on the Code for Crown Prosecutors. This is the document which sets out the principles which prosecutors must follow when they decide whether to prosecute an individual. The public consultation closed on 23 April.

Since the start of the public consultation, a number of issues have arisen which require us to consider more generally the content of the Code and, as a result, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, has commissioned further work to be carried out. This has now started.

The responses received from the public will be used to inform this piece of work. We have written to all those who contacted us with their views, thanking them for their input.

Keir Starmer QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, said:

"I want to thank all those who responded to the public consultation. This is an important piece of work and the responses have highlighted some key issues that we now wish to take forward in a further review of the Code.

"The initial stage of this project will be for a revised version of the Code to be drafted and discussed internally, before more extensive public consultation is launched in the autumn. We hope to launch the revised Code in Spring 2010."