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.

Joint National Police Chiefs' Council, CPS and College of Policing statement in response to the report from the Information Commissioner's Office

“Police investigators must balance the need to follow all reasonable lines of enquiry, guaranteeing a fair trial, with the need to respect privacy. We thank the Information Commissioner for this detailed and thoughtful report which acknowledges the complexity of this issue, and the growing volumes of data which exist in criminal cases. We will now carefully consider the recommendations of the report.

18 June 2020 | Press Release , CPS News

CPS review finds improvements in coronavirus charging compliance

A CPS review of completed prosecutions under coronavirus laws last month has found the legislation was correctly applied in almost 85 per cent of cases.

15 June 2020 | Press Release , CPS News

New prosecutors charge cases from home in their first weeks after joining CPS

More than 100 lawyers have been offered roles at the Crown Prosecution Service since March after digital technology was deployed to overcome challenges posed by the COVID-19 lockdown.

10 June 2020 | Press Release , CPS News

CPS West Midlands: Successful COVID-19 prosecutions – March to May 2020

CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ Court unit successfully prosecuted 78 COVID-19-related cases over the past three months including incidents of emergency workers and key workers being assaulted, threatened, coughed at and spat on by people claiming to have COVID-19.

01 June 2020 |

Duo jailed for a £2 million online banking fraud

Two men, who siphoned £2 million through fraudulent bank accounts, have today been jailed.

29 May 2020 | Press Release , Fraud and economic 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

CPS announces review findings for first 200 cases under coronavirus laws

Prosecutors have reviewed more than 200 finalised cases under the coronavirus legislation up to the end of April, with any incorrect charges withdrawn and overturned.

15 May 2020 | Press Release , CPS News

CPS Says: Stalking offences under coronavirus lockdown

There has been some discussion about how stalking cases are investigated and prosecuted during the current lockdown. The CPS would like to clarify our approach.

11 May 2020 | CPS says , CPS News

Prosecutors to prioritise serious cases to manage impact of coronavirus pandemic

PROSECUTORS are being asked to prioritise more serious cases and consider the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic when weighing up whether criminal charges are in the public interest, in order to help the justice system continue effectively in the face of current challenges.

14 April 2020 | Press Release , 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

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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