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.
Anyone using coronavirus to threaten emergency and essential workers faces serious criminal charges, the Director of Public Prosecutions warns today.
The CPS intervention comes after reports in recent days of police, shop workers and vulnerable groups being deliberately coughed at by people…
Criminals are using the COVID-19 pandemic to scam the public - don’t become a victim.
Law enforcement, government and private sectors partners are working together to encourage members of the public to be more vigilant against fraud, particularly about sharing their financial and personal…
Social media is being used to glamorise gang lifestyle and the use of weapons, forthcoming CPS guidance on prosecuting gangs will say.
Images which show young people brandishing dangerous weapons and posts glorifying violent offending such as serious wounding and even murder are being used as…
We have been asked questions about the role of the CPS in deciding whether to charge an individual with a criminal offence. The following information explains our role and approach. It is not a comment on any individual case.
The CPS does not investigate allegations of crime, or choose which…
A story in the Sunday Telegraph - 'Prosecutors allow dozens of charges brought against terrorists to 'lie on file' - has incorrectly claimed the CPS is allowing charges to lie on file for defendants accused of terror offences as part of “sweetheart deals”.
We refute this in the strongest terms…
UPDATED prosecution data has been released by the Crown Prosecution Service today (30 January).
A quarterly bulletin has been published for the first time as part of the CPS’s ongoing commitment to transparency on prosecution performance. The data tables, and a summary of main trends, can be…
The body that prosecutes the majority of crimes in England and Wales has today launched a recruitment campaign to hire almost 400 new lawyers by the end of June.
The Crown Prosecution Service, which prosecuted 495,000 cases in 2018, was given a £85 million boost by the Government last year.
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Congratulation to our colleagues - past and present - who have been recognised for their contribution to the justice system in the New Year’s Honours List published on 27 December 2019.
Alison Saunders, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath…
Chief Crown Prosecutor Janine Smith, said: “Following the death of Harry Dunn in Northamptonshire, the Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised Northamptonshire Police to charge Anne Sacoolas with causing death by dangerous driving.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions has met with Harry…
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) has today published the findings of its inspection into the CPS prosecution of rape cases. This will contribute to the Government’s comprehensive, end-to-end review of how rape and sexual violence cases are handled across the criminal justice…
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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.
