Resources for victims and witnesses

The following documents give detailed information about how we work and how we make decisions. If you want to find out more detailed information this is a good place to start. More information can be found in the Legal Resources section.

Prosecution policy

• The Code for Crown Prosecutors
• The Decision to prosecute
• The Prosecutors' Pledge

Codes of practice relating to victims and witnesses

• Care and Treatment of Victims and Witnesses
• Code of Practice for Victims of Crime
• Pre-trial witness interviews: Code of practice
• The Witness Charter

Special help for victims and witnesses

• Agreement on the arrangement for the attendance of interpreters in investigations and proceedings with the criminal justice system
• Interpreters
• Expenses and allowances
• Pre-trial witness interviews Legal Guidance
• Provision of therapy for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses prior to a criminal trial
• Special measures
• TV Links for witnesses outside the United Kingdom
• Homicide Cases - Guidance on CPS services to bereaved families
• Witness protection and anonymity
• Director’s guidance on witness anonymity

Meetings with victims and witnesses

• Interviewing witnesses for the other side
• Pre-trial witness interviews including annexes, guidance and evaluation
• Your meeting with the Crown Prosecution Service

Contacting victims/witnesses

• Complaints and correspondence handling
• Direct communication with victims
• Leaflet for Bereaved Families (English Version) (PDF Document)
• Leaflet for Bereaved Families (Welsh Version) (PDF Document)
• The Bar/CPS Standard for Communication between victims, witnesses and the prosecuting advocate

Trial

• Competence and compellability
• Contempt of court
• Hearsay
• Hypnosis
• Warning and phasing of witnesses
• Selection of prosecution witnesses
• Supplying witnesses with copies of their statement
• Warning of witnesses
• Witness care minimum requirements (PDF document)
• Witness immunity and undertakings
• Witnesses' names and addresses

Sentencing

• How offenders are sentenced in England and Wales - a film by the Sentencing Council.

          Available in the section of this website called 'Publications by other organisations'.

After the hearing

• Unduly lenient sentences

Children and young people

• CPS Policy on prosecuting criminal cases involving children and young people as witnesses (English) PDF
• CPS Policy on prosecuting criminal cases involving children and young people as witnesses (Welsh) PDF
• Provision of therapy for child witnesses prior to a criminal trial
• Safeguarding children as victims and witnesses

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