Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1986 |
| Type | Non-ministerial government department |
| Jurisdiction | England and Wales |
| Headquarters | 102 Petty France, Westminster, London, England |
| Employees | 5,794 (2019/20) |
| Annual budget | £592 million (2012–13) |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | cps |
| This article is part of the series: Courts of England and Wales |
| Law of England and Wales |
|---|
The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal advice to the police and other investigative agencies during the course of criminal investigations, to decide whether a suspect should face criminal charges following an investigation, and to conduct prosecutions both in the magistrates' courts and the Crown Court.
The Attorney General for England and Wales superintends the CPS's work and answers for it in Parliament, although the Attorney General has no influence over the conduct of prosecutions, except when national security is an issue or for a small number of offences that require the Attorney General's permission to prosecute.