Public Prosecution Service

What Public Prosecution Service does

The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS) is a non-ministerial government department established in June 2005 under the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002, operating as the principal prosecuting authority in Northern Ireland with statutory responsibility for prosecution decisions in all cases investigated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and other statutory bodies such as HM Revenue and Customs. Prosecutorial decisions follow a two-stage Test for Prosecution comprising an Evidential Test and a Public Interest Test, with the Director of Public Prosecutions (Stephen Herron) and Deputy Director (Michael Agnew) directing operations from the Belfast Chambers headquarters. The PPS delivers several discrete service lines beyond core decision-making: the Victim and Witness Care Unit provides a single point of contact for case tracking and support, Remote Evidence Centres (Belfast opened September 2023 plus Craigavon) enable vulnerable witnesses to testify via live link, Special Measures support intimidated witnesses in court, Diversionary Disposals offer alternatives to prosecution for lower-level offending, and a Review Service permits victims to challenge non-prosecution decisions.

The organisation operates four offices across Belfast, Londonderry, Newry, and Omagh, with functional sections covering Serious Crime, Central Casework, High Court and International, Fraud and Departmental, and three regional prosecution teams. Core technology centres on digital case management systems, live-link evidence infrastructure, and the Victim and Witness Care Unit case-tracking platform. There is no commercial revenue model; PPS is funded entirely through the Northern Ireland Assembly budget with the Director serving as Accounting Officer, and the service is provided free of charge to victims, witnesses, defendants, and the broader public. Key institutional partners include the PSNI (with a dedicated Gateway Team and Liaison Officer), the Service Prosecuting Authority under a 2024 jurisdiction protocol, Victim Support Northern Ireland, the NSPCC Young Witness Service, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Name

Public Prosecution Service

Legal name

Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland

Website

https://ppsni.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland is a non-ministerial government department established under the Justice (NI) Act 2002, responsible for prosecution decisions in all PSNI-investigated cases. It serves victims, witnesses, defendants, and the public across Northern Ireland through statutory services funded by the NI Assembly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Prosecution Services

NAICS

Legal Counsel and Prosecution (922130), 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 industries

State/Provincial Courts & Judicial Administration (BPAIABAE), Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System) (BPAIAFAJ)

Keywords

• Criminal prosecution services
• Public prosecution authority
• Victim witness support
• Prosecution decision making
• Criminal justice legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a non-ministerial government department, the PPS is funded by the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Director of Public Prosecutions serves as Accounting Officer responsible for ensuring efficient use of public monies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Public Prosecution Service is the principal prosecuting authority in Northern Ireland, taking prosecution decisions in all cases investigated by the police and other statutory authorities such as HM Revenue and Customs. It supports victims and witnesses through a dedicated Victim and Witness Care Unit, Special Measures, Remote Evidence Centres, diversionary alternatives to prosecution, and a review service for non-prosecution decisions.

Product overview

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is the principal prosecuting authority in Northern Ireland offering a unified prosecution service with supporting victim and witness care functions. The core product is the prosecution decision-making service, supported by the Victim and Witness Care Unit (VWCU) for case management and support, Remote Evidence Centres for vulnerable witness testimony, Special Measures for court accommodation, Diversionary Disposals as alternatives to prosecution, and a Review Service for victims to contest no-prosecution decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Prosecution Service The principal prosecution decision-making service in Northern Ireland, taking prosecution decisions in all cases investigated by police and other statutory authorities such as HM Revenue and Customs, applying the two-stage Test for Prosecution (Evidential and Public Interest).
• Victim and Witness Care Unit (VWCU) Single point of contact service for victims and witnesses from file submission through to court outcome, providing case updates, needs assessments, referrals to Victim Support NI and NSPCC Young Witness Service, and ongoing communication.
• Remote Evidence Centres Facilities enabling vulnerable and intimidated witnesses to give evidence via live link away from the courthouse, removing the possibility of meeting the defendant at court.
• Special Measures Court accommodation provisions under the Criminal Evidence (NI) Order 1999 that help vulnerable and intimidated witnesses give their best evidence, including screens, live link facilities, video recorded evidence, and registered intermediaries.
• Alternatives to Prosecution (Diversionary Disposals) Range of alternatives to prosecution including cautions, informed warnings, diversionary youth conferences, and community-based restorative justice, used for proportionate response to low-level crime.
• Review Service Service allowing victims of crime to request a review of a PPS decision not to prosecute; reviews are conducted by a different prosecutor applying the Test for Prosecution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Handles over 50,000 prosecution decisions annually

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Service Prosecuting AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2024Protocol agreement between PPS and SPA provides clear guidelines for determining whether armed forces personnel subject to Service law should be handled within civilian or military justice systems. Establishes structured consultation process for cases of murder, manslaughter, domestic abuse, and child abuse involving service personnel.
• Criminal Justice BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2023Oversight body for the PPS-PSNI No File Decision pilot scheme. Board provides governance and evaluation oversight for joint initiatives between criminal justice agencies.
• Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSNI is the primary source of investigation files submitted to PPS for prosecution decisions. A dedicated Gateway Team within the Serious Crime Unit assesses file quality and provides guidance to PSNI investigating officers. A Detective Sergeant from PSNI serves as dedicated PSNI/PPS Liaison Officer for the Serious Crime Unit. Joint initiatives include the No File Decision pilot scheme launched November 2023.
• HM Revenue and CustomsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHM Revenue and Customs is one of the statutory authorities that submits investigation files to the PPS for prosecution decisions, alongside PSNI.
• Victim Support Northern IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVWCU refers victims and witnesses to Victim Support NI for specialist emotional and practical support. Victim Support provides court preparation services, interactive courtroom tours, pre-trial visits, and ongoing support throughout the criminal justice process.
• NSPCC Young Witness ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides support for prosecution witnesses under the age of 18. Offers animation to help young people prepare for court attendance. Staff attend court with young witnesses to provide support.
• Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatisticians seconded from NISRA to PPS Policy and Information Unit are responsible for production of statistical publications in line with Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
• Criminal Justice Inspection Northern IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal agency with whom PPS coordinates on policy development and governance frameworks.
• Department of Justice Northern IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOversees criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. PPS works with DOJ on various initiatives including Victim Charter and Witness Charter. DOJ provides guidance on Remote Evidence Centres.
• Criminal Bar AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents criminal defence barristers. PPS works with CBA on resuming court proceedings following CBA industrial action in early 2026.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Criminal Justice Board (Northern Ireland): Cross-agency oversight body governing PPS-PSNI joint initiatives including the No File Decision pilot. Sets the strategic framework in which PPS operates.
• Victim Support Northern Ireland: Specialist victim and witness support charity to which PPS's Victim and Witness Care Unit refers cases for court preparation and emotional support. Core downstream support partner.
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Operates the court infrastructure in which PPS prosecutions are conducted. Peter Luney (PPS Senior Assistant Director) previously served as Chief Executive of NI Courts and Tribunals Service — close operational interdependence.
• Police Service of Northern Ireland: Primary source of investigation files for the PPS; co-pilot of the November 2023 No File Decision pilot. Core upstream partner rather than competitor.

Broad incumbents

• National Crime Agency: UK-wide law enforcement agency that submits serious and organised crime files to the PPS for prosecution. Overlapping caseload and ongoing investigative partnership.
• Serious Fraud Office: UK-wide specialist prosecutor for serious and complex fraud. Adjacent overlap with PPS Fraud and Departmental Section, but operates under different statute and national remit.

Regional players

• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Ireland): Republic of Ireland's national prosecution service with similar statutory framework and case mix. Comparable across the border and the most natural regional comparator given shared jurisdiction context.

Direct peers

• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service: Scotland's sole prosecuting authority, responsible for criminal prosecutions and death investigations. Direct peer — same role, different UK jurisdiction.
• Service Prosecuting Authority: UK prosecuting authority for the armed forces. PPS and SPA share a formal protocol (Nov 2024) determining jurisdictional handover of cases involving service personnel.
• Crown Prosecution Service: Principal prosecuting authority for England and Wales, performing the same statutory function as the PPS — taking prosecution decisions on cases investigated by police and other agencies. Closest structural and operational analogue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thePPSNI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Public Prosecution Service