Anti-Racist Statement from the Crown Prosecution Service

Publication CPS operational information Equality and diversity Policy and Guidance Policy and strategy

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal prosecuting authority for England and Wales, responsible for determining whether individuals should be charged with serious criminal offences. Our decisions significantly impact the lives of victims and defendants, necessitating the highest standards of accountability and transparency.

It is widely established that there is a disproportionate representation of ethnic minorities within the whole criminal justice system. We have conducted our own research and published an action plan to tackle this.

All our communities rightly expect and deserve a criminal justice system in which they can be confident that a person’s racial identity does not negatively impact their criminal justice outcomes.

We oppose racism and all forms of discrimination and commit to being an anti-racist organisation fostering equality, fairness and justice within our organisation and the broader community.

As we further our work to become an actively anti-racist organisation, we will continue to consciously consider and address whether our policies, processes, procedures, workplace cultures, behaviours, practices, interactions and relationships with other agencies could perpetuate racial bias, which may result in disproportionate outcomes and experiences, including in our charging decisions, for ethnic minority defendants.

Next three years

This statement sets out some of the further steps we are taking to be truly anti-racist and is underpinned by our statutory Public Sector Equality Duty. We know there is more to do. Over the next three years, we will work towards:

Eliminating bias in decision making

  • Eliminating any possible racial bias in our decision-making and working with other criminal justice system agencies to address race disproportionality and build public confidence.
  • Proactively identifying, challenging and addressing racial discrimination and bias at individual, organisational and systemic levels. Left unchallenged, these biases contribute to the disproportionate representation and unfair treatment of ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system.
  • Continuing to monitor our charging decisions and publicly reporting on our findings.

Embedding systemic change and learning culture

  • Embedding anti-racist principles to support our core mission of delivering justice through independent and fair prosecutions. This means working in partnership with our staff, people with lived experience, academics, civil society organisations and other criminal justice partners to equip our people with the understanding and tools to identify and address racism and bias across all areas of our work.
  • Cultivating an inclusive, anti-racist culture where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We will actively challenge individual and systemic racism, and promote racial equity, continuing to foster a collaborative and respectful environment where education and dialogue about racial bias is encouraged.

Attracting and developing ethnic minority talent

  • Striving to ensure our prosecution service reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, by ensuring our recruitment strategies are focused on attracting, developing and retaining talented individuals from all backgrounds, including those from under-represented groups.
  • Continuing to analyse all employment data - including recruitment, retention, promotion, learning opportunities and disciplinaries - to identify, understand and address any racial disparities.

Meaningfully and purposefully engaging with communities

  • Engaging with the communities we serve to better understand and address the impacts of racism and bias.
  • Continuing to actively seek input and feedback from communities, including ethnic minority communities and stakeholders to inform our policies and practices. This engagement is fundamental to building trust and ensuring that we understand the concerns of the most affected communities and consciously consider the impact of our policies and practices.

Being transparent and accountable

  • Being transparent and accountable to our people and communities in our efforts to combat racial discrimination and bias.
  • Regularly publishing reports on our progress, highlighting our successes and identifying areas needing further improvement. By holding ourselves accountable, we will demonstrate our commitment to genuine and enduring change.

Taking a zero-tolerance approach to racism

  • Racist behaviour will not be tolerated in any form. We have clear, accessible processes for reporting discrimination or harassment, and we ensure that all incidents are addressed with appropriate consequences. Everyone in our organisation deserves to feel safe, valued and respected.