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© Copyright, Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorates 2025.

Joint case building by the police and Crown Prosecution Service

Published:
Inspection type:
Joint inspection
Lead inspectorate:
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate,HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
Publication date:
2025

HMCPSI and HMICFRS have carried out an inspection of how the police and crown Prosecution Service (CPS) work together within the Criminal Justice System to build cases through investigation and prosecution.

How the police and the CPS work together is crucial: successive review and inspection reports have identified the need to improve the handling and management of cases between the police and the CPS. Despite the recommendations made in these reports, our single agency inspections highlight that several intractable issues remain. More recently, changes made to disclosure and case building processes have increased the inefficiency and tensions between policing and CPS. This report sets out 18 recommendations. If implemented, they will secure major improvements in the efficiency of the criminal justice system and, most importantly, better outcomes for victims.

The joint report can also be found at HMCPSI website

JCB data table
(PDF, 141 KB)