Prosecution guidance library | The Crown Prosecution Service

A

B

Bereaved Families - Guidance on CPS service to bereaved families in homicide cases

Bribery Act 2010: Joint Prosecution Guidance of The Director of the Serious Fraud Office and The Director of Public Prosecutions

C

Child Abuse (non-sexual)

Child Sexual Abuse: Guidelines on Prosecuting Cases of Child Sexual Abuse

Children as suspects and defendants

Communications Offences

Community Impact Statements

Community Impact Statements and their use in Hate Crime cases

Computer Misuse Act

Confiscation Proceedings - Guidance for prosecutors on the discretion to instigate

Consents to Prosecute

Contempt of Court

Controlling or Coercive Behaviour in an Intimate or Family Relationship

Coroners

Corporate Manslaughter

Corporate Prosecutions

Costs

County Lines Offending

Criminal allegations made against the police

Criminal Behaviour Orders

Custody Time Limit - Notice of Application to Extend

Custody Time Limit Calculator and Ready Reckoner

Custody Time Limits

Cybercrime - prosecution guidance

D

Dangerous Dog Offences

Deaths in Custody, including following contact with the police

Deceased Suspects - CPS Policy on Charging Decisions

Defendant’s refusal to attend Court

Deferred Prosecution Agreements - Code of Practice

DG6 Desktop Guide

Diplomatic Immunity and Diplomatic Premises

Director’s Guidance on Charging, sixth edition, December 2020, incorporating the National File Standard

Disability Hate Crime and other crimes against disabled people - prosecution guidance

Disclosure of Material to Third Parties

Disclosure related prosecution guidance

Dishonesty related prosecution guidance

Domestic Abuse

DPP's Investigatory Powers

Drafting the Indictment

Drug Offences

E

Education - Department for Education Prosecutions

Election Offences

Exhibits

Expert related prosecution guidance

Explosives see: Annex A - Explosives.pdf

Extradition - From the UK

Extradition - To the UK

F

Farquharson Guidelines: Role of Prosecuting Advocates

Female Genital Mutilation

Firearms

Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021 and the Forensic Science Regulator’s Code of Practice 2023

Fraud Act 2006

G

Gross Negligence Manslaughter

H

Handcuffing of Defendants

Hare Coursing

Hearings in Private (‘In Camera’)

Hearsay

Homicide: Murder, manslaughter, infanticide and causing or allowing the death or serious injury of a child or vulnerable adult

Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Hate Crime - Prosecution Guidance

Humanitarian, Development and Peacebuilding Work Overseas

Hunting Act 2004, The

I

Immigration

Indecent and Prohibited Images of Children

Inquiries and reviews – statutory and independent, child and adult safeguarding, domestic homicide, and offensive weapons homicide

Intentional or Reckless Sexual Transmission of Infection

International

J

Joint Investigation Teams

Judicial Comments

Judicial Independence and Out of Court Discussions

Judicial Review of CPS Prosecuting Decisions (Appeals)

Jurisdiction

Jury Vetting

K

Knife and Other Weapons Offences

L

Live Links

M

Media: Assessing the Public Interest in Cases Affecting the Media

Media: Prosecuting Cases Where Public Servants Have Disclosed Confidential Information to Journalists

Mental Health: Suspects and Defendants

Mental Health: Victims and Witnesses

Misconduct in Public Office

Modern Slavery and human trafficking: offences and defences, including the section 45 defence

Money Laundering Offences

N

Nominal Penalty - cases where this is likely

Non Accidental Head Injury Cases (NAHI, formerly referred to as Shaken Baby Syndrome [SBS]) - Prosecution Approach

Non-Jury Trials

O

Obscene Publications

Offences against the Person, incorporating the Charging Standard

Offences during Protests, Demonstrations or Campaigns

Offences Involving Domestic and Captive Animals

Offences to be taken into Consideration (TICs)

Older People: Prosecuting Crimes against

Online Child Abuse Activist Groups on the internet

Out of Court Resolutions

P

Perverting the Course of Justice and Wasting Police Time in Cases involving Allegedly False Allegations of Rape and / or Domestic Abuse

Pre-Trial Therapy

Pre-Trial Therapy - Accompanying note for therapists

Prison-related Offences

Private Prosecutions

Proceeds of Crime

Prosecuting Rape: CPS Policy (this policy is currently under review)

Prosecuting Welfare and Health Fraud Cases

Prostitution and Exploitation of Prostitution

Protests - Potential offences during protests, demonstrations, or campaigns - Annex A

Psychoactive Substances

Psychological Evidence Toolkit - A guide for Crown Prosecutors

Public Justice Offences

Public Order Offences incorporating the Charging Standard

Q

No results found

R

Racist and Religious Hate Crime - Prosecution Guidance

Rape and Sexual Offences - Overview and index of 2021 updated guidance

Rape counts, linked to murder, left to lie on file

Re-trials

Reconsidering a Prosecution Decision

Referrals, approvals and notifications

Relations with other prosecuting agencies and the Prosecutors’ Convention

Restraining Orders

Retrial of Serious Offences

Reviewing Finalised Cases

S

Safeguarding Children as Victims and Witnesses

Same sex sexual violence and sexual violence involving a trans complainant or suspect/defendant - Toolkit for Prosecutors

Secondary Liability: charging decisions on principals and accessories see: EasyRead - Secondary Liability LG

Sentencing - Ancillary Orders

Sentencing Dangerous Offenders

Sentencing – Overview, General Principles and Mandatory Custodial Sentences

Serious Crime Prevention Orders

Sex Dolls - Childlike

So-Called Honour-Based Abuse

So-Called Honour-Based Abuse and Forced Marriage: Guidance on Identifying and Flagging cases

Social Media: Reasonable Lines of Enquiry

Speaking to Witnesses at Court see: Protocol for Reading Victim Personal Statements in Court

Special Measures

Stalking or Harassment

Strangulation and suffocation

Suicide: Policy for Prosecutors in Respect of Cases of Encouraging or Assisting Suicide

T

Termination of Proceedings (Including Discontinuance)

Terrorism: Guidance in relation to the prosecution of individuals involved in terrorism overseas

Theft Act Offences

Trespass and Nuisance on Land

U

Unduly Lenient Sentences

Use of local information to ensure good quality decision-making

V

Victim Communication and Liaison (VCL) Scheme

Victim Personal Statement - Joint Agency Guide to the Victim Personal Statement see: Guide to Victim Personal Statements from all criminal justice agencies involved. PDF document, approx 246kb

Victims & Witnesses: CPS Service for Bereaved Families (English Version) see: PDF document

Victims & Witnesses: CPS Service for Bereaved Families (Welsh Version) see: PDF document

Victims & Witnesses: The Code of Practice for the Victims of Crime (Victims' Code) English/Cymraeg - external link to GOV.UK

Victims and Witnesses: Care and Treatment

Victims and Witnesses: CPS Commitments to Support

Victims' Right to Review Scheme

Violence against Women and Girls Guidance

W

Weapons related prosecution guidance

Wildlife Offences

Withdrawal of warrants

Witness Care: Focussing on Greatest Need (Minimum Requirements) see: PDF document

Witness protection and anonymity

Witnesses

X

No results found

Y

Your Meeting with The Crown Prosecution Service

Z

No results found