Feedback and complaints

We want to know when our service falls short of what you expect so that we can put things right, make improvements and learn from the experience.

Handling complaints is an important part of the public service that we provide. We aim to provide the highest standards of service and to get things right. If you would like to provide feedback or make a complaint on any aspect of our service, we would like to hear from you.

Please read our Feedback and Complaints Policy Guidance. This provides detailed information about our feedback and complaints system. It explains how you can provide us with feedback on our services, both negative and positive or complain if you are dissatisfied with the service that we have provided.

Other Organisations

If you have a complaint about the service you have received from the police or other government departments, you should contact them directly.

I want to give feedback or make a complaint

Use our website to make a formal complaint or provide feedback.

Contact us

Feedback and complaints guidance

For more information, please see our Feedback and Complaints Guidance.

Feedback and complaints guidance

Civil Proceedings Against The CPS

This page sets out the procedure for initiating civil proceedings against the CPS.

Civil Proceedings Against The CPS

What is a complaint?

We consider a complaint to be an expression of dissatisfaction about any aspect of our service by a member of the public or their representative who has been directly involved.

Complaints can be:

  • Legal - These are complaints relating to legal decisions made by the CPS
  • Service - These are complaints relating to the way in which we have conducted ourselves.
  • Mixed - These are complaints containing both legal and service issues.

Who can complain?

A complaint can be made by you or on your behalf by someone you have nominated such as:

  • A family member or friend
  • A support group
  • A solicitor or other professional

If you nominate someone to complain on your behalf, you will need to give permission in writing for the person to act for you.

Who cannot make a complaint?

You cannot use the CPS complaints procedure to make a complaint:

  • If you are a defendant and you want to get a case against you dropped
  • If you have been convicted of a crime and you want to appeal against your conviction and/or sentence. You should seek independent legal advice.
  • If you are a victim seeking to exercise your right to request a review of a CPS decision not to bring charges against a suspect, discontinue proceedings or offer no evidence in a case. Please go to Victims' Right to Review.

How long do I have to make a complaint?

The CPS will only consider complaints received within six months of the matter complained of. Complaints received outside this period will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, for instance if you became aware of the matter complained about more than six months after it occurred.

How to complain

There are several ways to complain:

  • Via our website: You can make a complaint through our website, either as the person to whom the events happened or on behalf of someone else. This is the most efficient method for submitting your complaint.
  • By telephone: If you want to complain, you are encouraged to first speak to your local CPS Area office or the member of staff involved. They will try to resolve the matter immediately. Telephone numbers of all CPS Areas are available on our website.
  • By email: Email addresses for all CPS Areas are available on our website.
  • By post: You can a make a complaint in writing. Postal addresses for all CPS Areas are available on our website.

The complaints process

If you want to complain, the first thing to do is to contact your local CPS Area or the member of staff involved. They will try to resolve the matter immediately. If you remain dissatisfied, you may wish to make a formal complaint by writing to us.

 

Stage One

Complaints at Stage One will be formally recorded and managed by the local CPS Area where the complaint originated. 

They will look into your complaint and reply within 20 working days.

 Where it is not possible to complete the investigation, and provide a response within that timeframe, we will write to you stating the date by which we hope to reply.

Stage Two

If you remain dissatisfied with the response received at Stage One you may escalate your complaint. 

This must be done within one month of our reply. Please provide details of why you remain dissatisfied. A more senior manager will review your complaint and provide a response within 20 working days. 

Where it is not possible to complete the investigation and provide a response within that timeframe, we will write to you providing the date by which we hope to reply.

This will be the end of the process for complaints relating to legal decisions.

Stage Three

If your complaint refers to the way in which we have conducted ourselves (a service complaint), and you remain dissatisfied following Stages One and Two, you can refer your complaint to the Independent Assessor of Complaints (IAC) for review. 

This must be done within one month of the Stage Two reply. The IAC operates independently from the CPS, and is responsible for reviewing complaints from members of the public in relation to the quality of the service provided by the CPS and our adherence to our published complaints procedure. 

Further information about the role of the IAC is available on this page (below).

Feedback

We encourage feedback - both positive and negative - on our policies, procedures, services and performance. We welcome your views on your experience of dealing with us or your opinion on any aspect of our service.

How do I provide feedback?

Anyone can provide feedback to the CPS, and there is no time limit for doing so. All feedback will be acknowledged, recorded and analysed in order to identify improvements to develop our services.

Where it is possible and appropriate to do so, a response will be provided.

You can provide feedback in the following ways:

  • Via our website: You can provide feedback through our website. This is the most efficient way to provide feedback.
  • By telephone: Feedback can be provided by telephone. Telephone numbers of all CPS Areas are available on our website.
  • By email: Email addresses for all CPS Areas are available on our website.
  • By post: Feedback can be provided in writing. Postal addresses for all CPS Areas are available on our website.

CPS Contact Scheme Privacy Notice

Read the Privacy Notice

Complaints Handling and Community Engagement Standards

These standards set out the benchmarks of quality that we strive to deliver in prosecuting crime for the public.

Complaints Handling and Community Engagement Standards (PDF)

Independent Assessor of Complaints (IAC)

The Independent Assessor of Complaints (IAC) operates independently from the CPS and is responsible for the handling and investigation of complaints from members of the public in relation to the quality of the service provided by the CPS and its adherence to its published complaints procedure.

Read more about the work of the IAC

Feedback and Complaints via email and post

You can send us your complaint via email or post. Just download the file below, complete it and email or post it to the appropriate Area. Email and postal addresses for all of the CPS Areas are available in the 'About CPS' section of the website.

Feedback and Complaints form - Word