Barriers to police and CPS joint working hinders high-quality prosecutions

Cultural and communication barriers between police and the CPS are hindering high-quality prosecutions and fail victims of crime, HMCPSI and HMICFRS have said in a report published today.

HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) have today released an interim report following the first phase of a joint inspection into the effective building of prosecution cases by the police and CPS at the early stages of a criminal case.

The two criminal justice inspectorates found that there are strong professional relationships between the police and CPS at a local level.

The police and CPS have a shared sense of purpose and desire to achieve a high standard of casework, with many examples of effective and successful prosecution cases.

However, there remain key differences between the police and the CPS, which hinder prosecutions and fail victims of crime.

Inspectors found that there was a lack of understanding of each other’s roles, IT systems are complex and can obstruct joint working, and there are tensions around the requirement to front-load cases for a charging decision.

The report suggests that these differences negatively affect the culture and communication between the two organisations, and the ability to resolve casework issues and build strong cases.

Further challenges faced by the police and CPS to deliver a high-quality service include increasing complexity of the law and case work, declining levels of experience, and a lack of personal contact between the two agencies on cases.

The report highlights common themes identified from phase one of the inspection, including areas of concern that have an adverse impact on the relationship and effectiveness of joint working between the CPS and police.

The final report to be published in Spring 2024 will include recommendations for the police and CPS, following visits to additional police forces and CPS Areas, as well as further extensive case file examination.

Get the Report

Joint case building by the police and Crown Prosecution Service (PDF, 391 kB)