CPS says | The Crown Prosecution Service

CPS Says: CPS charging decisions have never been made on the basis of performance targets

We have not changed our policy on charging rape, or any other sexual crime. Whenever the legal test is met, our dedicated prosecutors will bring charges at the most serious level they can, no matter how challenging the case.

Charging decisions over the summer

There have been social media comments which suggest the CPS has recently advised police we will only charge high harm and custody cases. This is not true.

CPS response to the announcement of the Criminal Bar Association ballot on action

A CPS spokesperson said: “We are well aware of the concerns being raised by the Bar but are disappointed they have taken this step. We wrote to them earlier this month to make clear that we hugely value their work and share their desire for a swift and positive conclusion to the review of fees schemes.

Why charges could not be brought against Sheffield Wednesday regarding the Hillsborough disaster

We know the sentencing of Graham Mackrell on May 13 for his role in the Hillsborough disaster has been an important milestone for everybody affected by the events of that tragic day.

The CPS pay award

There has been some media coverage and social media comment about the CPS pay award.

Letter to the Mail on Sunday on conditional cautions in domestic abuse cases from Max Hill QC, DPP

Very strict conditions underpin the use of conditional cautions in domestic abuse cases but the CPS is clear – this is not about letting offenders off the hook (Theresa May's local police force lets off wife beaters with a caution despite PM's pledge to get tough on domestic violence, Sunday 20 January).

Letter to the Sunday Telegraph from Sue Hemming, Director of Legal Services, on personal data and how it is used in criminal investigations

The way personal data is used in criminal investigations is an issue of growing significance. Balancing the huge increase in digital information with our duty to respect privacy and ensure all reasonable lines of inquiry are pursued is an important challenge (Rape victims fear being ‘put on trial’ by phone history, 13 January).

Letter from DPP Max Hill to The Times in response to their leading article of 14 November 2018

Sir,

You are right that I am determined to build trust in the Crown Prosecution Service, which means correcting fundamental mistakes about our role such as those in your leading article (Up Hill Task, Nov 14).

The CPS does not investigate crime. Operation Midland was a police investigation, and the CPS was never asked to make a charging decision in the cases of either Lord Bramall or Lord Brittan.

CPS response to Sunday Telegraph letter, 21 October 2018

The CPS was approached by the Sunday Telegraph to provide a response to a letter from Liam Allan and Samuel Armstrong, which ran on 21 October 2018. The following response was provided, but not included by the Sunday Telegraph in its coverage.

Letter to the BBC re: File on Four, 21 February 2018

To: Gail Champion, Editor, File on 4

21 February 2018

Dear Ms Champion,

We are taking the unusual step of jointly writing to express our genuine concerns about the ‘BBC
Justice Survey of practitioners about disclosure concerns’ currently being run in conjunction with the
Criminal Law Solicitors' Association, the Criminal Bar Association and the London Criminal Courts
Solicitors' Association. It is understood that the intention is to report on the findings of this survey on
File on 4.

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