About CPS Direct

As the principal prosecuting authority in England and Wales the Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for deciding what charges are to be brought against suspects in all but very minor cases. CPS prosecutors work closely with police colleagues as The Prosecution Team to build strong cases from the start.

To provide officers with access to 24/7 charging decisions, CPS Direct was launched as a pilot scheme in September 2003.  Since April 2006 CPS Direct has been responsible for providing out of hours charging advice to all police forces across England and Wales.

CPS Direct is a telephone and IT-based service. In a normal week we receive over 3000 calls from officers operating across all 43 police areas in England and Wales. In 2006-2007 CPS Direct made nearly one in three of all pre-charge decisions (PCD) in England and Wales. Our aim is to:

" Deliver a professional and efficient out-of-hours telephone service that allows prosecutors to work from their own homes to provide the police with first-class charging advice through the night and at weekends."

 Find out more about CPS Direct.

 Find out more about the work of the Crown Prosecution Service.