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.

Letter to the BBC re: File on Four, 21 February 2018

To: Gail Champion, Editor, File on 4

21 February 2018

Dear Ms Champion,

27 February 2018 | CPS says , CPS News

DPP speech to the International Summit on Modern Slavery

Wilton Park, 21 February 2018

21 February 2018 | Speech , International and organised crime , CPS News

Metropolitan Police Service and Crown Prosecution publish review into R v Allan

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are today, Tuesday, 30 January, publishing the findings of the joint review carried out into the disclosure failures in the case of R vs Allan, which was dropped at trial in December 2017.

30 January 2018 |

CPS Response to HMCPSI Area Assurance Inspection of CPS South East

CPS South East has engaged staff, set clear priorities with a strong vision and has used a peer review approach to improve performance in its Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, according to a report published today (Tuesday 30 January 2018) by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI).

30 January 2018 |

Joint press release from the Crown Prosecution Service and National Police Chiefs’ Council - Action on Disclosure

A package of measures to improve how the criminal justice system deals with disclosure was announced today.

26 January 2018 |

Disclosure - Joint statement from Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions and Sara Thornton, Chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council

"Today we met with Chief Constables to discuss further how we can improve the disclosure process.

24 January 2018 |

Letter in response to Times article on modern slavery

A letter was sent to the Times this week in response to an article which outlined concern that the CPS 'is failing to convert a sharp increase in the number of modern slavery cases into convictions'.

11 January 2018 |

CPS Statement - Hillsborough

The CPS has this week informed families of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster that no charges have been authorised against two individuals following an investigation by the IPCC.

15 December 2017 | News Item , CPS News

CPS statement on the HMCPSI report on the CPS response to the Modern Slavery Act 2015

Since the Modern Slavery Act came into force in 2015, the CPS has been working with police, government and partner agencies to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of trafficking and slavery cases. We are committed to increasing the number of prosecutions and delivering justice for victims.

14 December 2017 | News Item , CPS News

Speech by Sue Hemming, CPS Head of Counter Terrorism, at the National Security Summit, London, 25 October 2017

Assistant Commissioner Rowley has spoken about the current threat and countering terrorism in all its guises. There is no area where it is more important for all agencies and departments to have a joined up approach and ensure that we have a consistent, coherent and effective system.

25 October 2017 | Speech , 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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