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.
The Director of Public Prosecutions will discuss the importance of fair and independent prosecutions during a time of national emergency at an online event hosted by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law tomorrow (Friday, 18 September).
Max Hill QC will be in conversation with journalist Razia…
Greg McGill, CPS Director of Legal Services, said: “Today we have met with the family of Harry Dunn to update them on the various steps the CPS has taken over the last 10 months to secure justice in this tragic case.
“The challenges and complexity of this case are well known, but the CPS and…
July's findings for the CPS review of completed prosecutions under the Coronavirus Act and Health Protection Regulations are detailed in the table below.
Number of cases finalised (July)
Number incorrectly charged
Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions)…
Successful initiatives in CPS Thames and Chiltern have seen a significant rise in rape cases being charged.
CPS Thames and Chiltern have seen their charge rate for rape cases increase from 60.5% in 2018-19 to 77.5% in 2019-20. This increase is a result of initiatives that the area has launched…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesCPSThames and Chiltern
Improving the experience of rape victims who enter the justice system has been the subject of pioneering joint working between CPS East Midlands and voluntary and public sector groups.
Rape prosecutors are committed to giving victims of these offences a voice in court, so the CPS recognised it…
The Crown Prosecution service has drafted operational guidance on pre-trial therapy with assistance of experts and voluntary sector providers to enable all victims to receive the support they need.
The draft guidance, which stresses that no victim should delay accessing the therapeutic support…
The CPS today publishes new guidance to assist prosecutors considering cases of sexual violence within LGBT communities.
The same-sex stereotypes guidance addresses the specific issues that arise in relation to abuse involving gay, bisexual and transgender complainants and suspects.
Drawn up…
An ambitious package of measures to make sure offenders of sexual violence are brought to justice and victims of these devastating crimes are properly supported has been published by the CPS today.
The five-year blueprint, named RASSO 2025, will help CPS to understand and reduce the gap between…
Prosecutors and police forces in the South East have been working tirelessly to address the gap between reported rapes and cases reaching court.
Robust discussions about barriers to prosecution identified that earlier and more meaningful engagement between police and the CPS could drive up the…
Jenny Hopkins, who oversees the Appeals and Review Unit within the CPS, said:
“Christopher Kapessa’s death was an awful tragedy and on behalf of the CPS I want to offer our deepest condolences to his family.
“Each case is different and the CPS's role is to make independent and impartial…
Press ReleaseCPS
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.
