Court File Basics: MG Forms and CPS Submission

• Officers new to court file preparation
• Probationers preparing their first charge files
• Officers wanting to understand why CPS rejects files and how to avoid common errors

1. 1

   Know your MG forms

   The main MG forms for a charge file include: MG1 (front sheet, summary for CPS), MG3 (charging request), MG4 (charge sheet), MG5 (case summary), MG6 series (disclosure — see disclosure guide), MG9 (witness list), MG10 (witness non-availability), MG11 (witness statements), MG12 (exhibits list), MG15 (record of interview summary). Your force case management system will guide which forms apply to your specific case.

2. 2

   Understand the charge file timing

   If a suspect is in custody, a file must be prepared within very tight timeframes — typically hours. If a suspect is charged to bail, you have more time but the file should still be submitted before the first court date. Speak to your custody sergeant and CID supervisor about force-specific timelines for different case types.

3. 3

   Prepare a clear case summary (MG5)

   The MG5 is the narrative summary of your case. A prosecutor unfamiliar with the case must be able to understand what happened, who is alleged to have done what, what the evidence is, and what the charge is. Write it in plain English, in chronological order. Do not assume the reader knows anything about the case.

4. 4

   Complete the disclosure schedule (MG6)

   The disclosure schedule is not optional — it is a legal requirement. All material generated in the investigation must be scheduled, whether you intend to use it or not. For the basics of disclosure scheduling, see the Disclosure Basics guide.

5. 5

   Check for common rejection reasons before submitting

   Common CPS rejection reasons: unsigned or incomplete MG11 statements; missing ROTI (record of taped interview) or inaccurate summaries; exhibits not listed or documented correctly; incomplete disclosure schedule; charge not supported by the evidence described; missing MG10 for witnesses with availability issues; vague or conclusory case summary.

• Submitting a file without a supervisor review
• Leaving disclosure schedules blank or marking everything as no unused material without proper review
• Writing a case summary that simply repeats the statement narrative rather than summarising the evidence
• Not including all relevant witness statements, including those of witnesses who say nothing significant happened
• Failing to update the file when new evidence emerges after initial submission

Seek guidance from your CPS Single Point of Contact (SPOC) or your force file quality team if CPS returns a file with queries you cannot resolve. Contact your DS if you are unsure about the charge or evidence assessment.