CPS News Centre

Criminal cases that the Crown Prosecution Service take to court are in the news every day. This section also covers many issues related to our work, including violence against women and girls, hate crime, support for victims and witnesses, statistics, and speeches by the Director of Public Prosecutions and other senior staff.

Latest news

You can find our latest news stories here and search for older stories. You can also find more information about high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

Working with the media

To make criminal court reporting more open, the CPS, police, and media representatives created a joint protocol (agreement) for working together. We are currently working on an updated version of the protocol. 

Showing 471 - 480 of 684 results for area "CPS"

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Haulage boss jailed seven years for his role in people-smuggling network linked to Essex lorry deaths

A haulage boss has been jailed today for his involvement in a people-smuggling network linked to the tragic deaths of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children in Essex. Caolon Gormley, 26, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration on 27 November 2023 following a trial…
Press Release International and organised crime CPS

Oxbridge fraudster gets another eight-years in jail for failing to pay back £2.7m court order

One of the five Oxbridge-educated fraudsters who lured wealthy individuals to invest in fake “green” projects is sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment for non-payment of his £2.7m Confiscation Order. Today at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Rodney Whiston-Dew was ordered to serve a…
Press Release Proceeds of crime Fraud and economic crime CPS

CEO departure

Rebecca Lawrence has announced her departure from the CPS. She will continue to offer advice to the new DPP and CEO during the transition to the next phase for the organisation. The Director of Public Prosecutions thanks Rebecca for her legacy of skilful, caring and compassionate leadership…
Press Release CPS

Strong public interest in prosecuting those who cause unrest at pro-Palestine protests: Stephen Parkinson, DPP

Planned protests this weekend have ignited public debate about the role of prosecutors and police in upholding law and order on our streets and in our communities. The conflict in the Middle East has sparked not only large-scale demonstrations, but also surges in antisemitic and Islamophobic…
Article Hate crime CPS

New agreement gives victims of alleged crimes by armed forces personnel their say in the criminal justice process

For the first time, the views of victims will be considered when deciding whether criminal cases involving a member of the armed forces should be dealt with by the civilian or military justice system in England and Wales. Prosecutors have been told to seek assurances from the police that…
Press Release CPS

Joint statement on Hate Crime from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC)

Foreword from Lionel Idan, CPS National Hate Crime Lead, and Mark Hamilton, NPCC Hate Crime Lead As the respective National Hate Crime Leads for the Crown Prosecution Service and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, we continue to stand united in the commitment of both our organisations to the…
Press Release Hate crime CPS London South

Q1 CPS data shows a continued increase in the number of suspects charged in rape flagged cases

Between April and June this year, there was a 9.4% increase in the number of suspects charged in adult rape flagged cases from 859 in Q4 22/23 to 940 in Q1 23/24. According to the Q1 data released today there has been an increase in adult rape flagged charges of 136% since January 2021. There…
Press Release Sexual offences CPS

CPS prosecution guidance on protests and demonstrations in light of the Middle East conflict

The CPS is aware that following the recent disturbing events in the Middle East, the public and many different communities may be concerned about protests or demonstrations. The CPS recognises that whilst in the main demonstrations and protests will be peaceful and lawful, there may be incidents…
Press Release CPS

Focus on fairness – prosecuting crime in a changing world: Speech by Max Hill KC, DPP, to the Howard League

Opening Good evening. Thank you for coming – and thank you to the Howard League and Kingsley Napley for hosting this event. The last time I gave a lecture for the Howard League was in October 2019. I referred then to it being "a time of national upheaval and some political uncertainty". I had…
Speech CPS

Speech by Max Hill KC, DPP, to the JUSTICE Annual Human Rights Law Conference

Opening Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to speak here today. My contact with JUSTICE goes back many years to when, as chair of the Kalisher Trust, I enjoyed conducting interviews for the excellent internships JUSTICE offered through the Trust. I also delivered the Tom…
Speech CPS

Press Office contact details

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 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.

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The Crown Prosecution Service on social media

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.

Media protocol

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

Read the current protocol

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