• Home
• Your CPS
• Media Centre
• Professionals
  • Publications
  • Code for Crown Prosecutors
  • The Director’s Guidance
  • Legal Guidance
    • Role of the Crown Prosecution Service
      • Statutory duties and powers
      • Role of Headquarters and Areas
      • Counter Terrorism, Organised Crime & Special Crime Divisions – Criteria for referral
      • Non-prosecution functions performed by the CPS
      • Relations with other prosecuting agencies
      • CPS relations with the police
      • Guidance on the handling of allegations of criminal offences against persons serving with the police
      • Private prosecutions
      • Consents to prosecute
      • Complaints and correspondence handling
      • Complaints against solicitors and barristers
      • Civil proceedings against the CPS
      • Request for research facilities
      • Request for witnesses statements from CPS staff
      • Cases to be referred or notified to CCP (or ACCP in London)
    • The CPS and the International Community
      • Diplomatic Immunity and Diplomatic Premises
      • Visiting Forces
      • Extradition
      • Backing Of warrants
      • Evidence and information from abroad: Informal enquiries & letters of request
      • Channel Tunnel
      • European Courts
    • Decision to Prosecute
      • Mentally disordered offenders
      • Mentally vulnerable witnesses
      • Domestic violence
      • Offences by prisoners
      • Termination of proceedings
      • Re-institution of proceedings
      • Binding over orders
      • Offences committed by companies
      • Cautioning and diversion
    • Youth Offenders and Child Witnesses
      • Youth offenders
      • Child abuse and child witnesses
    • Offences against the Person
      • Homicide - murder
      • Corporate manslaughter
      • Offences against the person, incorporating Charging Standard
      • Self-defence and the prevention of crime
      • Protection from Harassment Act 1997
    • Racially and Religiously Aggravated Crime
      • Racially and religiously aggravated crime
    • Sexual Offences and Child Abuse
      • Sexual Offences Act 2003
      • Offences of child abuse and child abduction (SOA 1956)
      • Buggery and gross indecency (SOA 1956)
      • Indecent sssault (SOA 1956)
      • Rape (SOA 1956)
      • Unlawful sexual intercourse (SOA 1956)
      • Human trafficking under the SOA 2003
    • Offences of Dishonesty
      • Theft Acts, incorporating the Charging Standard
      • Fraud
      • Forgery and counterfeiting
      • The Fraud Act 2006
    • Road Traffic Offences
      • Road traffic offences
      • Driving offences, incorporating the Charging Standard
      • Drink driving offences
      • Transport offences
      • Guidance regarding disclosure in Intoximeter EC/IR cases
    • Drugs Offences
      • Drug offences, incorporating the Charging Standard
    • Public Order and Damage to Property Offences
      • Public order offences incorporating the Charging Standard
      • Damage to property
      • Football related offences
    • Guidance on Miscellaneous Offences
      • Explosives
      • Firearms, incorporating Charging Standards
      • Offensive weapons
      • Offences against public morals and decency
      • Obscene publications
      • Trespass and nuisance on land
      • Contempt of Court
      • Inchoate offences
      • Election offences
      • Immigration offences and protocol
      • Communications offences
      • Licensing
      • Offences involving domestic and captive animals
      • Wildlife offences
      • Offences committed by companies
      • The Hunting Act 2004
      • Betting and gaming/lotteries and prize competitions
    • Evidential Considerations
      • Visual identification of suspects
      • Confessions, unfairly obtained evidence and breaches of PACE Codes of Practice
      • Abuse of process
      • Exhibits
      • Evidence from computer records
      • Scientific evidence
      • Transcripts of Court proceedings
      • Prison inmates' letters and telephone calls
      • Competence and compellability
      • Accomplices
      • Alibi evidence
      • Evidence of absent witnesses
      • Television link for witnesses outside the United Kingdom
      • In camera
      • Use of screens
      • Hypnosis
      • Tape recorded interviews
      • Video recorded evidence
      • Privilege against self-incrimination in civil proceedings
      • Self-defence and the prevention of crime
      • Bad character evidence
    • Case Preparation (General)
      • Advance information
      • Binding rulings
      • Preparatory hearings for frauds and other complex/lengthy cases
      • Custody Time Limits
      • Correspondence
      • Offences to be taken into consideration
      • Disclosure for pre-sentence reports
      • Interpreters
      • File endorsements
      • Advocacy
      • Bail
      • Guide for prosecutors to the Drug Interventions Programme 2006
      • Withdrawal of bench warrants
      • Costs
      • Admitting evidence under Sections 9 and 10 Criminal Justice Act 1967
      • Binding rulings - Magistrates' Court
    • Trial issues and Sentencing
      • Trial issues
      • Re-trials
      • Sentencing and ancillary orders applications
      • Mandatory and minimum custodial sentences
      • Abuse of process
      • Derogatory or defamatory mitigation
      • Restrictions on reporting derogatory mitigation
      • Cross area cases in Magistrates’ Courts
      • Judicial comments
      • Judicial independence and open justice
      • Handcuffing of defendants
      • Relationship with prosecuting advocates
      • Selection of prosecuting advocates
      • Disclosure for pre-sentence reports
      • Offences to be taken into consideration (TICs)
      • Sentencing Manual
    • Witnesses
      • Care and treatment of victims and witnesses
      • The selection of prosecution witnesses
      • Interpreters
      • Witnesses' names and addresses
      • Supplying witnesses with copies of their statements
      • Admitting evidence under Sections 9 and 10 Criminal Justice Act 1967
      • Interviewing witnesses for the other side
      • Phasing of witnesses
      • Warning of witnesses
      • Witness expenses and allowances
      • Payment of witnesses' expenses and allowances
    • Crown Court Case Preparation
      • Sending indictable only cases to the Crown Court and committal proceedings
      • Crown Court case preparation
      • Transfers in serious or complex fraud cases
      • Summary offences and the Crown Court
      • Voluntary bills of indictment
      • Drafting the indictment
      • Notice of further evidence
      • Case summaries for judges
      • Crown Court cross area cases
      • Jury vetting
    • Advocates’ Fees
      • Fees
      • Barrister agent rates - special fee trials
    • Appeals
      • Appeals and references to the Court of Appeal
      • Appeals to the Crown Court
      • Appeals to the Administrative Court
      • Appeals to the Court of Appeal
      • Appeals to the House Of Lords
      • Attorney General’s references on a point of law under Section 36 CJA 1972
      • European Courts
      • Criminal Cases Review Commission
      • Retrial of serious offences
      • Prosecution rights of appeal
    • Disclosure and Covert Law Enforcement
      • Disclosure manual
      • Disclosure of material to third parties
      • Attorney General's guidelines on disclosure
      • Covert surveillance
      • Telephone intercepts
      • Disclosure of unused material
      • Disclosure: A protocol for the control and management of unused material in the Crown Court
      • Freedom of Information Act 2000
      • Guidance regarding disclosure in Intoximeter EC/IR cases
      • Joint Operational Instructions for the disclosure of unused material (PDF)
    • Proceeds of Crime
      • Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
      • Investigative powers & cash seizures
      • Restraint & management receivers
      • Confiscation & ancillary orders – overview
      • Confiscation & ancillary orders – detail
      • Enforcement
      • Money laundering offences
    • Offences against Public Justice
      • Public justice offences incorporating Charging Standard
      • Bribery and corruption offence
      • Misconduct in public office
• Working for the CPS
• Contact Us

• Feedback
• Complaints

Home » Professionals » Legal Guidance » Decisions to Prosecute » Mentally Vulnerable Witnesses