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Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives you rights to access official information held by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Under FOIA, you have a right to request any recorded information held by a public authority, such as a government department, local council or state school.

  • You can ask for any information you think a public authority may hold. The right only covers recorded information which includes information held on computers, in emails and in printed or handwritten documents as well as images, video and audio recordings.

  • You should identify the information you want as clearly as possible.

  • Your request can be in the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, but the authority does not have to answer your question if this would mean creating new information or giving an opinion or judgment that is not already recorded.

  • Some information may not be given to you because it is exempt, for example because it would unfairly reveal personal details about somebody else.

Freedom of Information releases

The CPS publishes a selection of responses to Freedom of Information Act requests, which may be of wider interest.

If you wish to access a copy of the material released for any of these requests, please contact the Information Access Team.
 

How to make a request for information

All requests for information held by the CPS under the Freedom of Information Act are managed by the Information Access Team (IAT) which forms part of the Security and Information Assurance Division.

In line with our statutory obligations, the IAT will respond to all FOIA requests for information within 20 working days.

Requests may be made by email to IAT@cps.gov.uk or in writing to:

Information Access Team
Crown Prosecution Service
102 Petty France
London SW1H 9EA

How do we manage your data?

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes the security of the data we manage ‎very seriously. Our staff understand the value of the information we hold and their obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA); training is provided from their induction and remains a regular feature of their ongoing development.

Robust systems and procedures exist across all aspects of our business which are designed to ensure we meet the various principles set out in the DPA at all stages. Any breach of these systems and procedures is referred to the Departmental Security Unit.

Regulatory Body

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the Regulatory Body for the CPS. The ICO publishes information about your rights to access personal information and official information from public bodies, including the CPS.

If you have a concern about a response you have received from the CPS in relation to a request for personal data, information about the CPS or a data breach you can raise it using the ICO website.