Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)

The independent public body that decides whether most police cases in England and Wales are prosecuted, and presents them in court.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes criminal cases investigated by the police and some other agencies in England and Wales. It is independent of the police and is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. CPS lawyers decide the charge in more serious or complex cases, advise police during investigations and present the prosecution case in the magistrates' courts and the Crown Court. Decisions must follow the Code for Crown Prosecutors and its Full Code Test, which has two stages: is there enough evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, and is a prosecution needed in the public interest? A Threshold Test can be used when a suspect is to be kept in custody and further evidence is expected. Victims can ask the CPS to review a decision not to charge or to stop a case.

Checked as at 25 September 2026. General information only, not legal advice.