Criminal cases that the Crown Prosecution Service take to court are in the news every day. This section also covers many issues related to our work, including violence against women and girls, hate crime, support for victims and witnesses, statistics, and speeches by the Director of Public Prosecutions and other senior staff.
Latest news
You can find our latest news stories here and search for older stories. You can also find more information about high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.
Working with the media
To make criminal court reporting more open, the CPS, police, and media representatives created a joint protocol (agreement) for working together. We are currently working on an updated version of the protocol.
UPDATED prosecution guidance, which clarifies the law on when deceiving someone or failing to disclose birth sex could affect consent in rape cases, has been published today by the Crown Prosecution Service. .The new deception as to sex guidance has been updated to assist prosecutors in their…
A PC has been jailed for illegally accessing police computer systems and passing sensitive information to a known criminal she had a relationship with.PC Lorna Pennycook, 38, researched information across various West Midlands Police systems between 2017 and 2021 and passed information to boyfriend…
A man who planned a terrorist attack at a London law firm and made a threat to kill a solicitor has been sentenced to a hospital order.Cavan Medlock, 32, walked into the office of the law firm in Harrow shortly before 5pm on 7 September 2020 and asked to see a solicitor by name.He did not have an…
A rioter who took part in violent disorder at the Holiday Inn Express, Rotherham, in August 2024 has been sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court today.Levi Fishlock, 31, was part of a 400-strong crowd gathered outside the hotel, which was used to house asylum seekers.He received a total sentence…
Press ReleaseViolent crimeCPSYorkshire and Humberside
The father and stepmother of a 10-year-old girl whose body was discovered in her bed after the family had fled to Pakistan have today been convicted of her murder.Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool have been found guilty of murdering Sara Sharif following what the court heard was a “campaign of abuse”…
A former solicitor has been sentenced today (10 December 2024) for defrauding the Legal Services Commission (forerunner of the Legal Aid Agency),and making substantial gain at a significant cost to the public purse.Phil Shiner, 67, has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years…
A man convicted of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman at a ‘slapping therapy’ workshop has been jailed. Hongchi Xiao, 61, from California, USA, had promoted the practice as a ‘cure’ for diabetes at the workshop in Seend, Wiltshire in 2016.Danielle…
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command, we have authorised charges against two Romanian nationals.“The charges relate to an attack on a journalist in Wimbledon on the afternoon of…
NEW measures to help keep victims of crime engaged in the justice process against the backdrop of delays have been unveiled by the Crown Prosecution Service.The package, set out by Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has a strong focus on victims of rape and serious sexual…
An ambitious plan to tackle racial disproportionality and safeguard fair prosecution decision-making for all has been published today by the Crown Prosecution Service.At the heart of this will be a change to the Code for Crown Prosecutors - the guidance by which prosecutors make their decisions –…
Press ReleaseCPS
Press Office contact details
Please note that our Press Office is NOT able to deal with issues or queries from members of the public - these contact details are for accredited journalists ONLY. Do not call this number unless you a member of the press. For all general enquiries, please visit contact.cps.gov.uk.
If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office on 020 3357 0906 or email [email protected] (9am-5pm weekdays only).
For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.
If you follow us on social media, you can expect posts covering some or all of the following:
Operational updates on decisions to prosecute or take no further action;
Reactions and statements on trial outcomes;
Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
Highlighting of relevant work by our criminal justice partners and other stakeholders
We will aim to be fair and accurate in all the information we publish. We will aim to correct any inaccuracies as soon as possible.
We are unable to monitor social media round the clock. We are not able to engage with all those who seek a response from us due to resources but also due to privacy and the sensitive nature of some of our work. The best way to contact the CPS is through our website.
Please do not try to report crime using social media. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.
If you follow us on social media we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.
Media protocol
To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together. We are currently in the process of updating the protocol.
