Policy and Guidance | The Crown Prosecution Service

Policy guidance on the prosecution of crimes against older people

We recognise that older people are often targeted because of their age and a perception that they are vulnerable. This can have a devastating impact on the victim because they are being targeted for a personal characteristic. Whilst there is no statutory definition of crimes against older people, nor legislation allowing for a sentence uplift to be applied as in hate crime cases, we are committed to ensuring that justice is delivered for older people by prosecuting offences against them and supporting victims and witnesses throughout that process.

Consultation on Crimes Against Older People Policy Guidance - Summary of Responses

This is a summary of responses to the public consultation undertaken by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on the Policy Guidance on Crimes Against Older People (CAOP).

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Objectives 2020–2022

1. Our People

Increase diverse workforce representation and declaration rates to ensure the CPS workforce is representative of the communities we serve and the rate of people declaring their personal information on our HR system is at or above 75%.

Mental Health Conditions and Disorders: Draft Prosecution Guidance

This draft guidance identifies the principles relevant to the prosecution of individuals who have a mental disorder, as defined by the Mental Health Act 2007, a learning disability, a learning difficulty, autism Spectrum Disorder, an acquired or traumatic brain injury, dementia.

Court of Appeal ruling on Reasonable Lines of Enquiry [R v E 2018 EWCA 2426 (Crim)]

In the case at the centre of this judgment, a Crown Court judge stayed proceedings after ruling the failure to seize a mobile telephone belonging to one of the complainants meant the defendant could not have a fair trial.

The CPS appealed this ruling and the Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the CPS, deciding that a fair trial would have been possible.

Importantly, the Court of Appeal has handed down guidelines which emphasise that seizing a phone is not automatically a reasonable line of enquiry in every case.

Code for Crown Prosecutors 2018 - downloadable version and translations

The Code for Crown Prosecutors 2018 is available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. All currently-available translations of the Code can be found below.

Obscene Publications - for consultation

This Legal Guidance identifies potential offences for prosecutors to consider when dealing with “obscene publications”, before focusing on the Obscene Publications Act 1959 itself. It provides guidance on the provisions in general and in particular how prosecutors should approach the question of “obscenity”.

Joint National Disclosure Improvement Plan – June update

In January 2018 the CPS, National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing released the Joint National Disclosure Improvement Plan. The plan sets out the actions that we are taking, and will take, to improve how the criminal justice system deals with disclosure.

The Code for Crown Prosecutors 2018 - for consultation

Please note: this is a consultation document. Prosecutors should apply the current Code 2013, seventh edition.

Protocol on the handling of so-called ‘Honour-Based’ Violence/Abuse and Forced Marriage Offences between the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Crown Prosecution Service

Agreed between the CPS and the NPCC, this protocol outlines the procedures and guidance that should be followed in investigating and prosecuting alleged cases of so-called ‘Honour-Based’ Violence/Abuse.

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1. Our People