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.

Sign up for a regular newsletter from your local CPS Area

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.

Man convicted of brutal 1975 rape and murder after double jeopardy trial

A man who brutally raped and murdered his ex-girlfriend’s niece 47 years ago has been convicted after the CPS successfully overturned the verdict of a 1976 jury to see him face a retrial.

19 December 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime, Sexual offences , CPS, London North News

Man jailed for life over murder of Zara Aleena

A man who murdered a woman as she returned home after a night out has been jailed for life with a minimum of 38 years.

14 December 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, London North News

“Psychopath with a conscience” convicted of double murder

A man who claimed in a text to a friend that he was a “psychopath with a conscience” has been convicted of the murder of two women.

01 December 2022 |

New strangulation and suffocation laws will help protect victims

From today, prosecutors will have new powers to charge violent abusers with specific offences of non-fatal strangulation and non-fatal suffocation, as key measures in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 come into force.

07 June 2022 | Press Release , Domestic abuse, Violent crime , CPS News

Prosecutors seek the public’s views on mercy killings and failed suicide pacts

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is seeking views on a proposed update to legal guidance on homicide, to assist prosecutors considering the public interest when dealing with suspects in deaths arising out of failed suicide pacts and so called ‘mercy killings’.

14 January 2022 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS News

313 prosecutions for assaults on emergency workers completed in first month of lockdown

More than 300 prosecutions for assaults on emergency workers were completed in the first month of lockdown, CPS data reveals.

21 May 2020 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS News

‘Coronavirus coughs’ at key workers will be charged as assault, CPS warns

Anyone using coronavirus to threaten emergency and essential workers faces serious criminal charges, the Director of Public Prosecutions warns today.

26 March 2020 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS News

FGM perpetrators have no hiding place

Suspects accused of allowing Female Genital Mutilation to be carried out can face prosecution in the UK, regardless of where in the world the procedure took place, the CPS confirmed today.

17 October 2019 | Press Release , Violent crime , 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

Fighting for justice: Go behind the scenes at the CPS

How the CPS and the police brought a killer to justice in a landmark case is the subject of a compelling documentary broadcast yesterday and now available on the BBC iPlayer.

08 January 2019 | Press Release , Violent crime , 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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