North East
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the main prosecuting authority in England and Wales. In our daily operations we work in partnership with all agencies in the criminal justice system. We work especially closely with the police, although we are independent of them.
The CPS has 14 Areas/Regions across England and Wales - the CPS North East Area consists of the counties of Northumbria, Tyne and Wear and Cleveland.
Working with you
Across Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland, we aim to work with all groups and communities to ensure that new policies adopted by the CPS reflect the diverse society we live in.
We acknowledge that public trust is measured against our ability to work with the public in key areas, which is why we established Local Scritiny and Involvement Panels throughout the North East to examine key parts of CPS policy.
CPS North East has three Community Involvement Panels (CIPs) one for each of the police force areas (Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria). The three Panels meet together to form the North East Joint Community Involvement Panels. The panels are a partnership between the CPS and local communities, working together to deliver improvements to the way we make decisions and deliver our service.
We consult the Joint Community Involvement Panels about, amongst other things, our Business Plan and our Equality and Diversity and Community Engagement Strategies. By retaining individual CIPs, we make sure that we do not lost sight of the concerns of individual local communities within the North East. Panel members are drawn from a wide cross-section of community groups including charities, inter-agency partnerships and local authorities.
The overall remit of the Community Involvement Panel is to provide a forum for dialogue between the CPS and the diverse communities we serve, so that the role of the CPS can be more widely understood and to ensure that we actively consult on the delivery, determination and identification of our business objectives.
Victims and Witnesses
Without the help of victims and witnesses, it can be difficult for us to achieve a successful prosecution and bring an offender to justice. We understand being a victim and or witness of crime can be difficult and are sensitive to how vulnerable some may feel due to their experiences. We will ensure that they are dealt with in a professional and courteous manner. We will listen to their needs and support them through the process so that they can give their best evidence at court.
CPS North East wants all of our communities to continue to have confidence in their local justice system, to believe their interests are fairly represented and justice is seen to be done.
Victims’ Right to Review
The VRR scheme makes it easier for victims to seek a review of a CPS decision not to bring charges or to terminate proceedings.
If you are a victim seeking to exercise your right to request a review of a CPS decision not to bring charges, discontinue proceedings or offer no evidence in a case please first see our Victims Right to Review page for more information.
For VRR enquiries and applications, please use the Contact page on this website in the first instance.
North East contact point for Victims' Right to Review enquiries:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0191 260 4385
Please note that the scheme applies only in relation to qualifying decisions made on or after 5 June 2013.