Fact Sheets
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour describes the everyday crime, from vandalism and graffiti to drug dealing and harassment, which has a huge impact on the quality of life of millions of people in England and Wales.
Find out more about how we prosecute anti-social behaviour
Decision to charge
Once the Police have completed their investigations, they will refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice on how to proceed. We will then make a decision on whether a suspect should be charged, and what that charge should be.
Find out more about how we decide to charge a suspect
Driving Offences Involving Death
The main types of driving offences involving fatalities are 'dangerous driving' and 'careless or inconsiderate' driving.
Find out more about driving offences involving death
Extradition
Extradition is the formal procedure for returning persons located in one country to another country for legal reasons.
Find out more about extradition
Hate Crime
Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by hostility towards someone based on their disability, race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Find out more about hate crime
Private Prosecutions
We recognise that the right to bring a private prosecution should remain and that we should not take over a private prosecution unless there is a good reason to do so for the public good.
Find out more about private prosecutions
Racially aggravated offences
Racially aggravated offences are offences where the offender shows or is driven by racial hostility.
Find out more about racially aggravated offences
Sexual Offences
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides clear and coherent sex offences to protect individuals from abuse and exploitation, and is designed to be fair and non-discriminatory.
Find out more about the Sexual Offences Act 2003
Unduly lenient sentences
Unduly lenient sentences are sentences (passed following conviction) that the Court of Appeal decides do not match the seriousness and circumstances of those offences. They must be unduly lenient, not just lenient.
Find out more about unduly lenient sentences
Witness Care Units
The aim of witness care units is to provide a single point of contact for victims and witnesses, minimising the stress of attending court and keeping victims and witnesses up to date with any news in a way that is convenient to them. Witnesses are essential to successful prosecutions and we are committed to making the process as straightforward as we can.
