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. We are currently consulting on an updated joint protocol. For more details and to have your say, go here.

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.

Domestic Abuse is a priority: Crown Prosecution Service responds to Inspectorate report

The Crown Prosecution Service’s determination to work with partners across the criminal justice system to improve the successful investigation and prosecution of domestic abuse cases has been recognised in a report published today.

30 March 2023 | Press Release , Domestic abuse , CPS News

Four sentenced for murder of Anthony Sargeant

Four men have been jailed for murdering a 33-year-old father-of-eight in a drive-by shooting outside his mother’s home.

24 March 2023 | News Item , Violent crime , CPS, West Midlands News

Man charged for attempted murder after stabbing in Cheltenham

The CPS has authorised Gloucestershire police to charge Joshua Bowles with attempted murder.

15 March 2023 | Press Release , Terrorism , CPS News

Victims Summit 2023 - speech by Max Hill KC, Director of Public Prosecutions

Victims deserve, and rightly expect, to be supported, informed and treated fairly. Being a victim of crime can be deeply traumatic and we do not underestimate the courage of victims.

10 March 2023 | Speech , Sexual offences , CPS News

The law in action: how prosecutors apply centuries of legislation to contemporary crime

Speech by Max Hill KC, Director of Public Prosecutions to the Oxford University Law Faculty, 24 February 2023

28 February 2023 | Speech , Violent crime , CPS News

Victims of crimes committed by armed forces personnel to have say in justice

For the first time, there will be a requirement to consider the views of those reporting a crime allegedly committed by a member of the armed forces when deciding whether a case should be dealt with by the civilian or military justice system.

23 February 2023 | Press Release , CPS News

DPP Speech to the Bar Council

Remuneration for criminal barristers has, of course, been high on the agenda for some time now, with last autumn seeing an increase in fees paid to defence barristers. With those increases secured, attention has, understandably, turned to the CPS.

07 February 2023 | Speech , CPS News

CPS action to understand disproportionality in charging decisions

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a programme of research to identify, understand and tackle disproportionality in its charging decisions.

07 February 2023 | Press Release , CPS News

CPS publishes latest quarterly statistics which show a continued increase in people charged with rape

Today the CPS has published the Q2 performance data which covers the three-month period from 1 July to 30 September 2022.

Notable changes in the data from Q1 2022-23 to Q2 2022-23 include:

19 January 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences, Domestic abuse, Hate crime , CPS News

Children classed as domestic abuse victims under new guidance

Children affected by domestic abuse will be automatically treated as victims regardless of whether they were present during violent incidents, the CPS announced today.

05 December 2022 | Press Release , Domestic abuse , 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 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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