Further information for victims and witnesses
The CPS continues to make progress towards the shared vision.
- Making justice pay
- In-house advocacy
- Children and young people - CPS policy on prosecuting criminal cases involving children and young people as victims and witness
- Pre-trial witness interviews - Code of practice
- Pre-trial witness interviews - Your questions answered
- Pre-trial witness interviews - Interviewing prosecution witnesses
- Victims' Advocates - Judicial Protocol published
- Virtual tours for victims and witnesses
- Victim Focus scheme
This section includes the booklets Millie the witness and Jerome: a witness in court
Making justice pay
Working with the police we are determined to make sure crime doesn't pay.
The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) became law in 2003. Its aim is:
- to prevent criminals or their associates laundering the proceeds of crime and to detect and penalise such laundering
- to recover money made from crime or intended for use in crime and use it for the benefit of the community.
This is a reminder to all those who commit crime for financial profit, that if they are caught they will not only run the risk of receiving a prison sentence, but their money and any assets will be taken away.
During 2005-06, the CPS secured more than 3,000 confiscation orders with a value over £87 million.
In-house advocacy
Modern prosecutors routinely conduct their own advocacy. Our Associate Prosecutors have consistently prosecuted cases robustly and fairly in the magistrates' courts, and today's prosecutor is gaining more and more experience in the Crown Court.
Known as Higher Court Advocates (HCAs), these solicitors and barristers have been granted special rights to appear in higher courts.
The Service's talented pool of in-house advocates will increasingly use their skills in trials of ever increasing duration and complexity.
This is a foundation of the Director of Public Prosecution's vision that the CPS is a world-class prosecution service that routinely conducts its own advocacy.
Children and young people - CPS policy on prosecuting criminal cases involving children and young people as victims and witness
This document is about children and young people who are victims of crime, or are witnesses in a criminal trial. Many of the cases we deal with involve children as victims or witnesses. Whenever they do, we apply this policy.
Children also go to court as defendants. We hope that those supporting them will apply the principles in this policy.
Additionally, these two documents complement the CPS policy Children and Young People. The documents are for children and young people of different ages and abilities, and use simple language and illustrations.
Millie the witness - English PDF
Millie the witness - Welsh PDF
Jerome: a witness in court - English PDF
Jerome: a witness in court - Welsh PDF
Pre-trial witness interviews - Code of practice
This Code of Practice, issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions, provides guidance to prosecutors conducting pre-trial interviews with witnesses in a pilot scheme running in the CPS Areas of Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cumbria during January to September 06.
If you require any further information, please contact the Policy Helpdesk by phone on 020 7796 8471, or by e-mail, at HQPolicy@cps.gsi.gov.uk
Pre-trial witness interviews - Code of practice
Pre-trial witness interviews - Your questions answered
This explains what happens at a pre-trial witness interview.
View Pre-trial witness interviews - Your questions answered
The Pre-trial witness interviews leaflet is also available in Adobe Acrobat PDF in English and Welsh.
Pre-trial witness interviews - English - PDF
Pre-trial witness interviews - Welsh - PDF
Pre-trial witness interviews - Interviewing prosecution witnesses
A socio-legal evaluation of the pre-trial witness interview pilot by Paul Roberts and Candida Saunders. Please note that this report expresses the views of its authors. Its contents are not necessarily endorsed by any other individual or organisation. In particular, this report does not represent official policy of either the Crown Prosecution Service or the University of Nottingham.
Pre-trial witness interviews - Interviewing prosecution witnesses
Victims' Advocates - Judicial Protocol published
Applying to offences of murder or manslaughter charged after 24 April 2006, the Victims' Advocates pilot allows the family of a victim to make a statement in open court about the effect of the crime on their family.
In making this statement, victims' families may ask for assistance from a CPS prosecutor or an independent advocate with Higher Court rights of audience. Victims' Advocates are being piloted at The Central Criminal Court, Birmingham Crown Court, Cardiff Crown Court, Manchester Crown Court and Winchester Crown Court.
For more information on the protocol, visit the Judiciary of England and Wales website.
Virtual tours for victims and witnesses
Developed by CJS Online, this interactive virtual tour has been developed to provide information about the Criminal Justice System process as it relates to a victim of a crime.
This tour from CJS Online aims to guide you through the criminal justice system in England and Wales from the time a crime is reported, through the police investigation, prosecution decision making, court processes, and sentencing, explaining the role of the witness at each of the stages.
Victim Focus scheme
These documents explain when and how we, the Crown Prosecution Service, can meet you and your family to explain some of the procedures in relation to the prosecution of your case. This can include, if you wish, making a statement to the court about how your family member's death has affected you and your family. This statement is called a victim personal statement (VPS).
The Victim Focus scheme is also available in Adobe Acrobat PDF in English and Welsh.
Victim Focus scheme - PDF - English
Victim Focus scheme - PDF - Welsh