Criminal proceedings information
Media and Communications — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
This section of the Authorised Professional Practice outlines the guidelines regarding the release of information during and after criminal proceedings. It emphasizes the role of police communicators in releasing information about court outcomes, aiming to enhance public confidence in the criminal justice system. During criminal proceedings, the release of evidential material must be agreed by the CPS. Material presented in open court should be made available to the media upon request, and senior investigating officers are responsible for recording decisions about information release. Consideration must be given to the views of victims, witnesses, and those directly affected by the case when making decisions about media disclosures.
Key principles
- 1Police communicators enhance public confidence by releasing court outcome information.
- 2Evidential material is released according to CPS protocols.
- 3Material presented in open court is accessible to the media on request.
- 4Decisions on information release must be documented by the senior investigating officer.
- 5Victim and witness views must be considered in media disclosures.
Defined terms
- Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Media Protocol
- Guidelines governing the release of information during criminal proceedings.
Full guidance
Guidance on engaging with the community, communication platforms and relations with the media
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
Police communicators may release information about court outcomes to improve public confidence in the criminal justice system.
The release of material during criminal proceedings is set out in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Media Protocol(opens an external website in the same tab) .
The release of evidential material should be agreed by the CPS and can be released by the police.
Material relied on by the prosecution in open court should normally be provided to the media if requested. This includes material:
read out in open court * played in open court * displayed in open court * placed before a judge and/or jury and referred to in open court
The senior investigating officer (SIO) should record if a decision is made not to release information by the CPS or police, and an explanation should be provided to the media.
In deciding whether prosecution information is released to the media, the SIO should consider the views of:
victims * witnesses * other people directly affected by the case, including family members, children and vulnerable adults
It remains the responsibility of the media to ensure that they comply with all their legal obligations, including reporting restrictions, in respect of material supplied under this protocol.
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Read the full APP guidanceSource: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.