Crown Prosecution Service 2030 strategy

Crown Prosecution Service 2030 strategy logo

Foreword

“Our aim is to deliver justice through independent, fair and effective prosecutions.”

The Crown Prosecution Service sits at the heart of the criminal justice system – working with the police and courts to bring criminals to justice, support victims and witnesses, and make our communities safer.

Our aim is to deliver these outcomes through independent, fair and effective prosecutions. This strategy explains how we will do this by increasing capability, increasing casework quality, reducing delays and increasing trust.

We continue to operate in a context in which the criminal justice system is under great pressure. Our caseloads remain high, and people are waiting too long to see justice. We are determined to turn around this situation, and by doing so improve our service to victims and the public at large. We know we can only make meaningful change by working effectively with our criminal justice partners – addressing shared challenges together. We will also align our approach with government priorities for which we have received additional funding, including tackling violence against women and girls – playing our part by bringing more perpetrators to justice.

Despite the obstacles we face, there is much to be hopeful about – the Crown Prosecution Service is an adaptable and dedicated organisation.

The commitment of our people is exceptional, there are huge opportunities for us to continually improve our service, and our ability to rise to the challenges in front of us has been proven time and again.

By delivering the change outlined over the next five years, our organisation will become more effective and work better with our partners in the criminal justice system – delivering the best possible service to victims and earning the public’s trust.

Stephen Parkinson, DPP, signature

Stephen Parkinson,
Director of Public Prosecutions

Our vision

We are a trusted partner in transforming a criminal justice system that makes the public safer.

Our purpose

We prosecute criminal cases that have been investigated by the police and other investigative organisations in England and Wales.

The Crown Prosecution Service:

  • decides  

    which cases should be prosecuted based on the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

  • provides

    information, assistance and support to victims and prosecution witnesses.

  • prepares

    cases and presents them at court.

  • determines

    the appropriate charges in more serious or complex cases and advises the police during the early stages of investigations.

Context

Our service is profoundly shaped by the complex context in which we operate, and over the next five years the criminal justice system will face a rapidly changing world. To respond effectively, we will need to embrace significant and necessary reform alongside our partners.

The Crown Prosecution Service is an essential public service, and we have consistently risen to the seismic challenges we have faced over the past forty years. We are one part of a wider criminal justice system that brings together different public bodies to deliver justice for victims, witnesses and defendants.

As society is transformed – whether by artificial intelligence, declining trust or generational shifts in attitudes – so too criminal activity continues to evolve. These rapid changes bring with them both new risks and new opportunities, and we must be alive to both.

Meanwhile, ongoing challenges make improvements more difficult and time consuming, compounded by a challenging fiscal environment. Fewer people are choosing careers in criminal justice, and to deliver the best public service we need to do more to attract and retain the best talent.

Cases are becoming more complex, evidence volumes are growing exponentially, and our caseloads remain significantly higher than they were before the pandemic.

These factors limit capacity in the system and mean that delays are common, with an unacceptable impact on victims, witnesses and defendants.

But there are also causes for optimism. Criminal justice is becoming increasingly integrated, with better joint working and a greater appreciation of the interdependencies within the system. If we can work better together, we can tackle systemic issues, deliver on government priorities and have a far greater impact.

Our commitment to continuous improvement – including harnessing the potential of technology – will help us to respond more flexibly and effectively to whatever the future brings. Working smarter will go some way to giving our people the space they need to focus on what we know matters most to the public: building the best possible cases, giving victims, witnesses and defendants the service they deserve, and working together to make our communities safer.

Our values

  • Treat everyone with respect

    We will respect each other, our colleagues and the public we serve, recognising that there are people behind every case.

  • Be honest and open

    We will explain our decisions, set clear standards about the service the public can expect from us and be honest if we make a mistake.

  • Be independent and fair

    We will prosecute independently, without bias and will seek to deliver justice in every case.

  • Behave professionally and strive for excellence

    We will work as one team, always seeking new and better ways to deliver the best possible service for the public. We will be efficient and responsible with taxpayers’ money.

How our strategy works

  • Strategic aim

    The overall objective for the strategy, and the direction for the whole organisation.

  • Benefits

    The measurable improvements in performance when we achieve one or more of our outcomes.

  • Outcomes

    Future statements setting out the results we will achieve when we are successful.

  • Strategic priorities

    The essential elements of each outcome, used to align projects and programmes under the strategy.

Our strategic aim

We deliver justice through independent, fair and effective public prosecutions

Benefits, Outcomes and Strategic priorities

Benefit: We increase capability across the Crown Prosecution Service

We want everyone at the Crown Prosecution Service to thrive and to be at their best. We invest in our people to ensure they feel supported, respected and valued for the work they do.

 

We have the talent we need to succeed

  • We target the recruitment and retention of skilled people.
  • We enable our people to develop and progress.
  • Our people have the skills to adapt to a changing environment.

Our people feel valued

  • Our people are engaged and motivated by their work.
  • Our people’s wellbeing is improved.

Our people are productive and professional

  • Our organisational structures and people are agile.
  • Our senior leaders and managers uphold and ensure Crown Prosecution Service standards and performance levels.
  • We adopt and embed continuous improvement.

Benefit: We increase casework quality

Casework underpins everything we do to secure justice for victims. We hold ourselves to high quality standards and produce strong cases.

 

Our people are enabled to work effectively

  • Our processes prioritise quality.
  • The Crown Prosecution Service and police improve file quality together.

Our people apply high legal standards

  • We increase value-add and grip in every case.
  • Our people have strong legal skills.
  • Cases are expertly prepared and presented.

Benefit: We reduce delays in the criminal justice system

Through effective collaboration with partners, we tackle delays within the whole criminal justice system to deliver timely and just outcomes for all.

 

We progress cases on time

  • Our technology and tools are user-focused.
  • Our processes and operating procedures are efficient.

We promote and support a criminal justice system that is collaborative

  • Demand in the criminal justice system is collectively understood and managed.
  • We work with partners to improve data exchange.

We increase trust in the Crown Prosecution Service

We place victims at the heart of the criminal justice system, promoting a supportive, respectful and fair approach.

 

Victims and witnesses experience a supportive service

  • We engage empathetically and proactively with victims and witnesses, and we support them to participate.
  • We promote and enable a joined-up criminal justice system approach to supporting victims.

We are fair in how we approach our work

  • We are an anti-racist organisation.
  • We eliminate bias in our decision making.
  • We reflect the communities we serve at all levels.

The public understand what we do

  • We are clear about our role, decisions and independence.
  • We promote our successes and we own our mistakes.

How we will measure progress

Demand

  • data on referrals, caseloads, and sitting days.
  • timeliness of cases and of key tasks.

Assurance

  • assurance data on decision making, file quality and compliance.
  • programme delivery and benefit realisation. performance variations.

Feedback

  • public attitudes towards the Crown Prosecution Service.
  • confidence in the Crown Prosecution Service through official national surveys.

Workforce

  • the experiences of our people.
  • the treatment of our people.
  • the attraction and retention of our people in key roles.