The CPS remains committed to tackling economic crime and bringing fraudsters to justice. Since the publication in 2021 of the CPS’s Economic Crime Strategy 2025, the changing nature of economic crime has continued to present challenges.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is a non-ministerial department. The CPS prosecutes criminal cases that have been investigated by the police and other investigative organisations in England and Wales. The CPS is independent and makes decisions independently of the police and government.

The CPS 2025 Vision places the CPS as a leading voice in transforming the criminal justice system, using our legal expertise and digital capability to make the public safer and to build the confidence of our diverse communities. Our mission statement is to deliver justice through independent and fair prosecutions. This strategy sets out how the CPS will focus its resources and structures to contribute to our vision in relation to asset recovery. We will adopt a robust, targeted approach to recovering the proceeds of crime, depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains.

We made 32 commitments in the JNAP. We have completed 24 and eight are in progress. As we have developed this refreshed Joint National Action Plan, we have held sessions using the theory of change model to consider where we can go further, building on what we’ve delivered to date. We will be taking forward the JNAP through 20 actions (including the in-progress actions) outlined in the main strategy document.

Our commitment to ensuring that the right person is prosecuted for the right offence and protecting the rights of suspects and defendants underpins our CPS Defendants: Fairness for All Strategy 2025.

This table provides an overview of work we have delivered and work underway against each of the CPS themes. Of the 26 actions we committed to in RASSO 2025 for 2020/21, we have completed 17. On each of the remaining actions, work is underway and progress has been made against each. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has meant we have all had to adapt to unprecedented circumstances. We have adapted our delivery of certain actions, focusing on the same outcome, against the context of the pandemic.

Rape is a truly devastating and life-changing crime. Victims of this most invasive abuse can suffer lasting trauma, and too often their experience of the criminal justice system adds to their suffering. I am determined to change that.