Who we are and what we do
At the Crown Prosecution Service we prosecute criminal cases.
We review the evidence that the police or other investigative agencies have collected and decide whether someone can be charged with a criminal offence.
We don’t investigate crimes and we can’t review a case if it isn’t sent to us by the police or another investigative agency.
In some serious cases, we can offer investigators ‘early advice’ - this means that we advise them on what evidence to look for to help them build the case. Working together helps us to build strong cases as quickly and effectively as possible.
We make all our decisions in a fair and objective way by following the legal test set out in our Code for Crown Prosecutors.
We ask two questions:
- Is there enough evidence in this case to realistically get a conviction?
- Is it in the public interest to prosecute this person?
If a case passes our two-stage test then the suspect will be charged with a criminal offence and if it doesn’t, they won’t. We can’t prosecute a case that doesn’t pass our test no matter how serious or sensitive it may be.
At the CPS, it’s not our role to decide whether someone is guilty or not and our test is different to the test applied at trial.
When a case gets to trial the magistrates, judge or jury apply the evidence to a higher test which says that they must be sure that a defendant is guilty in order to convict them.
Our prosecution teams work closely with the police to prepare cases for court. We also share our case with the defence – including the evidence we’re using and any additional relevant material. These processes help us to make sure that the trial is fair for everyone involved.
We work with all our partners to make sure that victims, witnesses and defendants get the information and support that they need throughout the process.
When we prosecute a case we present the evidence and ask a court to find the defendant guilty.
We’re independent, we’re fair and we treat everyone with respect. It’s our job to protect the public by prosecuting the right person for the right offence and bringing offenders to justice wherever possible.