Crown Prosecution Service

What Crown Prosecution Service does

The Crown Prosecution Service is the principal public prosecution service for England and Wales, established by Parliament in 1986 as a non-ministerial government department operating independently of police and government in its prosecutorial decisions and accountable to Parliament through the Attorney General. Headquartered at 102 Petty France, London, it delivers criminal prosecutions through 14 regional CPS Areas, the CPS Direct out-of-hours charging service, and specialist Central Casework Divisions including SEOCID, Special Crime and Counter Terrorism, and CPS Proceeds of Crime. Core products and services comprise the statutory Code for Crown Prosecutors, the Victims' Guide, the Victims' Right to Review Scheme, CPS Direct, the Advocate Panels system covering RASSO, Counter Terrorism, Extradition, Fraud, Serious Crime Group and Proceeds of Crime, and an Online Contact Portal for complaints, FOI and data protection enquiries.

Technically, CPS runs on general government IT infrastructure rather than a proprietary platform. Disclosed systems include the Digital Case System used in Crown Court and the CJS Common Platform, alongside broader digital working tools supporting approximately 8,000 employees. The technology stack is not disclosed as a product; the website carries partial WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance. The organisation has no commercial product line, no app, no public API, and no third-party integrations of note in the input data.

CPS has no commercial revenue model. It is funded through annual UK government budget appropriations; the most recent disclosed annual budget is approximately £676 million (2020/21 figures). There are no commercial pricing models, no paying customer segments, and no go-to-market motion in the conventional sense; cases are referred by police, HMRC, the National Crime Agency, and other investigative bodies and processed under the Code for Crown Prosecutors. Customers served are victims, witnesses, police forces, investigative agencies, and the courts of England and Wales.

Name

Crown Prosecution Service

Legal name

The Crown Prosecution Service

Website

https://cps.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Crown Prosecution Service is the principal public prosecution service for England and Wales, prosecuting criminal cases referred by police and investigative bodies across 14 regional teams and specialist divisions, serving victims, witnesses, and the courts under statutory authority since 1986.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Criminal Prosecution Services

NAICS

Legal Counsel and Prosecution (92213), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Prosecution & District/State Attorney Services (BPAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Court Services & Operations (Clerks, Records, Jury, Interpreters) (BPAIAFAH)

Keywords

• Criminal prosecution services
• Public prosecution
• Criminal justice
• Legal advocacy
• Case management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The CPS is a non-ministerial government department funded by public taxation. It does not generate commercial revenue. The annual budget is approximately £676 million (2020/21 figures), covering all operational costs including staff salaries, legal proceedings, and infrastructure.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Crown Prosecution Service is the principal public prosecution service for England and Wales, responsible for reviewing criminal cases referred by police and other investigative bodies and deciding whether to prosecute. It prepares and presents cases in magistrates' courts, the Crown Court, and higher courts, and also provides charging advice to police during investigations and out of hours. Supporting services include the Code for Crown Prosecutors policy framework, the Victims' Right to Review Scheme, the CPS Advocate Panels system, and the CPS Proceeds of Crime division handling restraint and confiscation work.

Product overview

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is a non-ministerial government department that operates as the principal public prosecution service for England and Wales. It is not a technology product company but rather a criminal justice prosecution service. The organization delivers prosecution services through a distributed structure comprising 14 regional CPS Areas, CPS Direct (an out-of-hours charging advice service), Specialist Casework Divisions (including SEOCID and Counter Terrorism), and the Advocate Panels system. Key service offerings include the Code for Crown Prosecutors (policy guidance), Victims' Guide, Victims' Right to Review Scheme, and an online contact portal for feedback, complaints, and enquiries. The CPS processes criminal cases from police referral through to court presentation and conviction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CPS Regional Areas (14 Areas) Fourteen regional teams operating across England and Wales (Cymru/Wales, East Midlands, East of England, London North, London South, Mersey-Cheshire, North East, North West, South East, South West, Thames and Chiltern, Wessex, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside), each headed by a Chief Crown Prosecutor, prosecuting cases locally and working closely with local police forces and criminal justice partners.
• CPS Direct An out-of-hours service providing charging advice to police on cases where suspects cannot be released on bail, operating through the night, weekends and bank holidays.
• Specialist Casework Divisions Central divisions handling complex prosecutions including Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID), Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, and CPS Proceeds of Crime for restraint, enforcement and serious confiscation work.
• CPS Advocate Panels A panel system for quality-assured advocates undertaking criminal prosecution advocacy for CPS in magistrates' courts, youth courts, Crown Courts and higher courts across various specializations including General Crime, RASSO, Counter Terrorism, Extradition, Fraud, Serious Crime Group, and Proceeds of Crime.
• Code for Crown Prosecutors The official policy guidance issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, establishing the legal framework and decision-making criteria for Crown Prosecutors evaluating evidence sufficiency and public interest.
• Victims' Guide A comprehensive guide providing victims of crime with information about the court process, special measures, and support services available throughout the criminal justice journey from charge to conviction.
• Victims' Right to Review Scheme A scheme enabling victims to seek a review of CPS decisions not to bring charges or to terminate all proceedings.
• CPS Online Contact Portal A web-based portal enabling citizens to provide feedback, make complaints, request Victims' Right to Review, submit Freedom of Information requests, exercise data protection rights, and make general enquiries to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 regional CPS Areas serving England and Wales with specialist divisions including SEOCID, Special Crime and Counter Terrorism, and CPS Proceeds of Crime

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Police Forces (England and Wales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS works closely with all police forces across England and Wales in prosecuting criminal cases. Police investigate crimes and refer cases to CPS for charging decisions and prosecution.
• National Crime Agency (NCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS collaborates with NCA on complex organised crime cases, international justice matters, and sanctions enforcement including shadow fleet investigations.
• HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS works with HMRC on financial crime, tax evasion, and customs enforcement cases.
• Crown Court and Magistrates' CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS presents all prosecution cases in courts, working with judges and magistrates to deliver justice.
• Attorney General's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Attorney General superintends the CPS and is accountable to Parliament. CPS issues joint statements with AGO on matters like Anti-Modern Slavery.
• Independent Police Complaints Commission (IOPC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS engages with IOPC on cases involving police conduct requiring independent oversight.
• Bar Council and Law SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS works with professional bodies for the Bar and solicitors on Advocate Panel arrangements, standards, and diversity in advocacy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service: Scotland's principal public prosecution service. Direct peer to CPS — both are non-ministerial government departments delivering criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state, just in different UK jurisdictions.
• Public Prosecution Service of Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland's principal public prosecution service. Direct peer with an analogous statutory mandate, organisational structure (regional teams), and operating model to CPS, covering the remaining UK jurisdiction where CPS does not operate.
• Serious Fraud Office (UK): UK non-ministerial government department investigating and prosecuting serious and complex fraud, bribery, and corruption. Peer to CPS given overlapping complex casework mandates, similar legal-officer workforce, and the periodic political debate about merging it with CPS.

Broad incumbents

• HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Executes the operational side of the English and Welsh court system where CPS presents its prosecutions. Comparable in scale (large government agency), public funding model, and close day-to-day operating dependency on CPS outcomes.
• National Crime Agency: UK-wide law enforcement agency tackling serious and organised crime. Peer to CPS given that CPS takes referrals from NCA on organised crime and international matters, and both are core participants in the same complex-case pipeline.
• Attorney General's Office: The UK ministerial department that superintends CPS and is accountable to Parliament for its performance. Peer given shared public-sector legal mandate, oversight role over CPS decisions, and joint policy outputs on areas like anti-modern slavery.
• Department of Justice – United States (DOJ): The US federal executive department responsible for federal prosecutions via US Attorney's Offices. Broad incumbent peer given analogous statutory prosecution function, large legal workforce, and federal-level constitutional positioning.

Regional players

• Department of Public Prosecutions (Australia): Australian state-level prosecution agency (Victoria DPP cited as exemplar). Peer to CPS given analogous statutory mandate to prosecute criminal cases on behalf of the state, comparable organisational structure, and similar relationship with police investigators.
• Public Prosecution Service of Canada: Canadian federal prosecution service. Peer to CPS given that both are independent statutory prosecution agencies with national jurisdiction, separated from police and accountable to a parliament-equivalent body, applying published charging guidelines.

Others

• HM Revenue & Customs: UK tax authority that investigates and refers financial crime and tax evasion cases to CPS for prosecution. Adjacent peer given its role as one of CPS's primary referring investigative partners in CPS's financial crime caseload.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cpsuk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UKCPS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crown-prosecution-service
• Instagraminstagram.com/crownprosecutors
• Facebookfacebook.com/133214583385158

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crown Prosecution Service