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 have created an agreement: the Media Protocol: Working together to support open justice.

Showing 561 - 570 of 694 results for area "CPS"

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CPS and police collaboration to drive up performance on rape and serious sexual offences

Efforts to reduce the disparity between the number of rape and serious sexual offence (RASSO) cases being reported and those going to court have taken a step forward, as a blueprint to drive even closer working between police and prosecutors has been published today. The Joint National Action…
Press Release Sexual offences CPS

Significant programme of work continues at CPS to narrow the gap between reported rapes and cases which reach court

PROGRESS is being made on a major programme of work to narrow the gap between reported rapes and those which reach court. Last summer saw the launch of RASSO 2025 - the CPS strategy on rape and serious sexual offences. Underpinning this is wide ranging work to better understand and deal…
Press Release Sexual offences CPS

6,500 coronavirus-related prosecutions in first six months of pandemic

Almost 6,500 offences related to coronavirus were prosecuted in the six months following last spring’s lockdown, CPS statistics published today show. As well as prosecuting offences under Covid-19 legislation, the CPS has introduced a ‘coronavirus flag’ on its case management system to highlight…
Press Release CPS

December's coronavirus review findings

The findings of the CPS review for completed prosecutions in December under the Coronavirus Act and Health Protection Regulations are detailed in the table below. Number of cases finalised (December) Number incorrectly charged Health Protection (Coronavirus,…
Press Release CPS

CPS response to the Joint Inspectorates' report on the pandemic and the Criminal Justice System

A CPS spokesperson said: “We are pleased this report commends our effective response to the pandemic, including our commitment to staff wellbeing which is a top priority for the CPS. “Safely reducing the backlog of court cases is vital so we can ease pressure on prosecutors and continue to…
Press Release CPS

Specialist prosecutors work to overcome cultural barriers associated with rape and serious sexual offences

REMOVING cultural barriers that may prevent people from ethnic minorities in pursuing a rape or serious sexual offence (RASSO) prosecution is the focus of an ongoing programme of work at the Crown Prosecution Service. CPS staff have joined forces with local charities and community groups in a…
Press Release Sexual offences CPS

Prosecutors given additional tools to tackle harmful myths about online dating

With studies suggesting one in three relationships now start online*, the Crown Prosecution Service has provided additional tools for prosecutors to tackle harmful myths and stereotypes around online dating head on, to reflect this rapid shift in the way people date. In addition to updated legal…
Press Release Sexual offences CPS

New CPS guidance on charging for police and prosecutors

NEW legal guidance to set updated rules on charging criminal cases has been published by the Director of Public Prosecutions today. The Director’s Guidance on Charging 6th Edition (DG6) has been unveiled by The Crown Prosecution Service with the new rules coming into immediate effect. The…
Press Release CPS

November's coronavirus review findings

The findings of the CPS review for completed prosecutions in November under the Coronavirus Act and Health Protection Regulations are detailed in the table below. Number of cases finalised (November) Number incorrectly charged Health Protection (Coronavirus,…
Press Release CPS

Role of grooming of women involved in violent crime examined as part of new gangs guidance

Prosecutors working on gang-related cases which involve women and girls should consider if there is evidence they have been forced or groomed into committing crime, according to new legal guidance published today. The guidance, Decision-making in ‘gang’ related offences, has been drawn up by the…
Press Release International and organised 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.

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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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