CPS News Centre

Criminal cases prosecuted by the CPS are in the news every day, along with a range of issues relating to our work – from violence against women and girls and hate crime, to support for victims and witnesses, statistics and speeches.

To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together.

Here you can find our latest news stories and search for others. You can also find additional details about a number of high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

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Media enquiries

National, international and specialist media should contact the main 24-hour press office.

Local media should contact their Area Communications Manager during normal working hours.

Speech by Max Hill QC, DPP, to the Bar Council in Cardiff, 6 July 2019

Bore Da. It’s a pleasure to be here in Cardiff for the first Saturday morning meeting outside of London. As you know, the CPS maintains a comprehensive presence here in Wales, with our offices in Cardiff, Swansea and Mold. I spent Monday and Tuesday of last week here in Cardiff, with all of our teams.

06 July 2019 | Speech , CPS News

Proposal between the Crown Prosecution Service, Ministry of Justice, Attorney General, Criminal Bar Association and the Bar Council

Criminal advocates are essential to making our criminal justice system work and to upholding the rule of law. The Government recognises the dedication and hard work of the Bar in ensuring that justice gets done, in the face of significant pressures, including the growth in digital evidence and the increasing complexity of criminal cases. It is committed to transforming our criminal justice system for now and for the future and we have been working with the Bar to make that happen. That is why both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Ministry of Justice have commissioned comprehensive evidenced-based reviews into their fee schemes.

12 June 2019 | Press Release , CPS News

Queen's Birthday Honours List

Two members of CPS staff have been recognised in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours list for their hard work and years of service to the organisation.

07 June 2019 | Press Release , CPS, West Midlands News

CPS response to the announcement of the Criminal Bar Association ballot on action

A CPS spokesperson said: “We are well aware of the concerns being raised by the Bar but are disappointed they have taken this step. We wrote to them earlier this month to make clear that we hugely value their work and share their desire for a swift and positive conclusion to the review of fees schemes.

24 May 2019 | CPS says , CPS News

Why charges could not be brought against Sheffield Wednesday regarding the Hillsborough disaster

We know the sentencing of Graham Mackrell on May 13 for his role in the Hillsborough disaster has been an important milestone for everybody affected by the events of that tragic day.

17 May 2019 | CPS says , CPS News

Police and prosecutors invite victim groups to discuss concerns about new consent form

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and College of Policing have invited concerned organisations and individuals to help shape new processes to bring consistency to the way investigators search for relevant information on the digital devices of complainants and witnesses.

03 May 2019 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

Emerging Areas of Child Abuse and Exploitation

Speech by Max Hill QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, to the Heads of Prosecuting Agencies Conference in Uganda, 15-17 April 2019

17 April 2019 | Speech , Sexual offences, Youth crime, International and organised crime, Violent crime , CPS News

How cases are prosecuted in the CPS: From charge to conviction - a case study

The CPS prosecuted 533,161 cases last year. Here, see how we prosecuted a man for murder from the first phone call through to conviction.

01 April 2019 | Article , CPS News

CPS takes action to tackle childlike sex dolls

Robust measures to help prosecutors bring charges against importers and sellers of child sex dolls have been unveiled today.

28 March 2019 | Press Release , International and organised crime , CPS News

CPS strengthens guidance on child abusers caught in undercover stings

Paedophiles who think they are grooming a child for sex, but are actually communicating with an adult, will now face tougher charges.

18 March 2019 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

Search CPS News

In-depth - a deeper look at high-profile cases and the work of the CPS

'You can trust me, I'm a police officer' couldn't be further from the truth
How 13 women's testimonies secured the fate of serial rapist David Carrick
How a criminal case works
From reporting to appeals - how a criminal case works, end-to-end.
How we make our decisions
How does the CPS make the decision to prosecute - or not?
Our criminal justice partners
We don't just work with the police - here's a look at our many partners within the criminal justice system.
Transforming our service to victims at the CPS
Being a victim of crime can be deeply traumatic, and for those who find themselves in the criminal justice system the process can feel overwhelming, unfamiliar, and incredibly challenging.

Articles and speeches

Read articles and speeches from the CPS on matters of relevance to the Criminal Justice System

Articles and Speeches

CPS Says

The CPS position on major issues in the news, our response to inaccuracies in media reports and our letters to the media.

CPS Says...

Contacts: National media

Please note that our Press Office is not able to deal with issues or queries from members of the public - these contact details are for accredited journalists ONLY. Do not call this number unless you a member of the press. For all general enquiries, please call the General Enquiries line: 020 3357 0899 or 020 3357 0000 (09:00-17:00, Monday-Friday) or visit contact.cps.gov.uk.

If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office on 020 3357 0906 or email [email protected] (9am-5pm weekdays only).

For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.

Contacts: Local media

Cymru/Wales
Richard Paull
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Wendy Wyeth or Molly Barker
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02380 673873

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: [email protected]
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wessex Communications
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: [email protected]
Telephones: 0113 290 2839 / 07500 835186

Our social media policy

If you follow us on social media, you can expect posts covering some or all of the following:

Operational updates on decisions to prosecute or take no further action;
Reactions and statements on trial outcomes;
Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
Highlighting of relevant work by our criminal justice partners and other stakeholders

We will aim to be fair and accurate in all the information we publish. We will aim to correct any inaccuracies as soon as possible.

We are unable to monitor social media round the clock. We are not able to engage with all those who seek a response from us due to resources but also due to privacy and the sensitive nature of some of our work. The best way to contact the CPS is through our website.

Please do not try to report crime using social media. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you follow us on social media we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.

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