Annex C: Code for Crown Prosecutors
The Crown Prosecution Service is the principal public prosecuting authority for England and Wales and is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Attorney General is accountable to Parliament for the Service. The Crown Prosecution Service is a national organisation consisting of 42 Areas. Each Area is headed by a Chief Crown Prosecutor and corresponds to a single police force area, with one for London. It was set up in 1986 to prosecute cases investigated by the police.
Although the Crown Prosecution Service works closely with the police, it is independent of them. The independence of Crown Prosecutors is of fundamental constitutional importance. Casework decisions taken with fairness, impartiality and integrity help deliver justice for victims, witnesses, defendants and the public.
The Crown Prosecution Service co-operates with the investigating and prosecuting agencies of other jurisdictions. The Director of Public Prosecutions is responsible for issuing a Code for Crown Prosecutors under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, giving guidance on the general principles to be applied when making decisions about prosecutions. This is the fifth edition of the Code and replaces all earlier versions. For the purpose of this Code, 'Crown Prosecutor' includes members of staff in the Crown Prosecution Service who are designated by the Director of Public Prosecutions under section 7A of the Act and are exercising powers under that section.
