Revised: 04 February 2019, 28 November 2023, 4 July 2024

The guidance sets out how charging decisions are to be approached in cases involving persons who assist or encourage another to commit a crime. These persons are known as accessories or secondary parties.

Updated: 14 June 2023

The prosecutor has an important responsibility to ensure fairness both to the defendant and the victim regarding the acceptability of pleas and assistance to the court at sentence.

Updated: 05 November 2019; 15 October 2024

Updated: 09 September 2022; 12 September 2024

updated 18 October 2019; 2 September 2024

Trespass is not of itself a criminal offence. However there are some offences in which trespass is an essential element and this guidance sets out the most commonly encountered examples of such offences. Prosecutors should also have regard as appropriate to the CPS legal guidance on Public Order Offences and Offences during Protests, Demonstrations and Campaigns.

All Coronavirus-related guidance aggregated to this page on 25 July 2023

Rewritten: 15 March 2023

The basic principle is that it is for the prosecution, not the court, to decide whether a prosecution should be commenced and, if commenced, whether it should continue.