CPS News Centre

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. 

Showing 501 - 510 of 699 results for area "CPS"

CPS rolls out national blueprint as next step to transform prosecution of adult rape cases
An ambitious blueprint to transform how adult rapes are prosecuted is being rolled out nationally by the CPS as the next stage of a commitment to drive up the number of cases taken to court and improve victim experiences. The Crown Prosecution Service’s new national operating model,…
Press Release CPS
CPS Says: Conviction rates play no part in deciding whether or not to charge a case
Conviction rates play no part in CPS decision making – so we know a story this week “CPS failing victims by cherry-picking cases’ may have caused concern. In fact, of the cases brought to us by the police we authorise a charge in around 78%. We always prosecute where there is sufficient…
CPS says CPS
Prosecutors focus on ‘love-bombing’ and other manipulative behaviours when charging controlling offences
Updated guidance on controlling behaviour published by the Crown Prosecution Service today emphasises the need for prosecutors to closely scrutinise the actions of a suspect, who can often take steps to disrupt or mislead criminal proceedings. The CPS prosecution guidance on controlling…
Press Release Domestic abuse CPS
Domestic Abuse is a priority: Crown Prosecution Service responds to Inspectorate report
The Crown Prosecution Service’s determination to work with partners across the criminal justice system to improve the successful investigation and prosecution of domestic abuse cases has been recognised in a report published today. His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate’s report…
Press Release Domestic abuse CPS
Victims Summit 2023 - speech by Max Hill KC, Director of Public Prosecutions
N.B. - there is some minor variation in this speech between as written and as delivered. I would like to thank Claire Waxman for inviting me here today to share some of the work we are undertaking at the CPS to improve our service to victims. Victims deserve, and rightly expect, to be…
Speech Sexual offences CPS
The law in action: how prosecutors apply centuries of legislation to contemporary crime
Speech by Max Hill KC, Director of Public Prosecutions to the Oxford University Law Faculty, 24 February 2023 Opening We invited you here today by telling you Mark had harmed Paul and asking you whether he should be prosecuted. Those who can recall the details of the synopsis will remember…
Speech Violent crime CPS
Victims of crimes committed by armed forces personnel to have say in justice
For the first time, there will be a requirement to consider the views of those reporting a crime allegedly committed by a member of the armed forces when deciding whether a case should be dealt with by the civilian or military justice system. Prosecutors would have to consider the…
Press Release CPS
CPS action to understand disproportionality in charging decisions
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a programme of research to identify, understand and tackle disproportionality in its charging decisions. Disproportionality has long been recognised as a criminal justice system-wide issue, and the CPS is committed to ongoing examination of our…
Press Release CPS
DPP Speech to the Bar Council
Opening Thank you for inviting me to address you once again. Coming to Bar Council, either in person or virtually, has been a regular and important feature of my time as DPP, and I continue to welcome the opportunity, particularly when we can meet like this, in person. Although the…
Speech CPS
CPS publishes latest quarterly statistics which show a continued increase in people charged with rape
Today the CPS has published the Q2 performance data which covers the three-month period from 1 July to 30 September 2022. Notable changes in the data from Q1 2022-23 to Q2 2022-23 include: The volume of suspects charged with rape has increased 13.7% from 666 in Q1 to 757 in Q2…
Press Release Sexual offences Domestic abuse Hate crime CPS

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.

Follow us on X: @cpsuk, Instagram: @crownprosecutors and LinkedIn.

The Crown Prosecution Service on social media

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.

Read the current protocol

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