Prosecution guidance

Prosecution guidance assists Crown Prosecutors in their decision making.

Purpose

The CPS prosecutes independently, fairly and works to deliver justice in every case.

The Code for Crown Prosecutors sets out the overarching principles to be followed by Crown Prosecutors when they make case decisions.

The purpose of the prosecution guidance is to assist Crown Prosecutors in applying the Code when exercising prosecutorial discretion in their decision making. The guidance ensures that decisions are fair, transparent, and consistent.

How to access our prosecution guidance

The prosecution guidance can be accessed from the A-Z catalogue on all prosecution guidance pages, categorised by subject areas and offence types. You can also use the free text search option.