Prosecution and case management
Prosecution and case management — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
Prosecution and case management introduces how the police service collaborates with partners in the criminal justice system (CJS). The focus is on the experiences of victims, witnesses, and the public, which are crucial for bringing offenders to justice. This section of the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) is organized into five modules: charging and case preparation, hearing and trial management, possible justice outcomes following investigation, enforcing sentences and managing offenders, and victim and witness care. Core guidance is provided along with links to additional guidance from partner agencies that influences policing in the CJS.
Key principles
- 1Collaboration with criminal justice partners
- 2Focus on victim and witness experiences
- 3Structured into five key modules
- 4Core guidance with supporting links
- 5Transition in terminology for out of court disposals
Defined terms
- out of court resolutions
- Terminology previously referred to as 'out of court disposals', changing as per legislative updates.
Full guidance
Charging and case preparation, trial, justice, offender management and victim and witness care
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
Prosecution and case management provides an introduction to the way the police service works with partners in the criminal justice system (CJS). The experience of victims, witnesses and the public is fundamental to bringing offenders to justice.
This area of authorised professional practice (APP) is broken into five modules. These are:
charging and case preparation * hearing and trial management * possible justice outcomes following investigation * enforcing sentences and managing offenders * victim and witness care
Core guidance is provided alongside links to mutually agreed supporting guidance held and managed by other agencies, which guides, influences or directs policing in the CJS.
Terminology related to out of court disposals is changing. 'Out of court disposals' are now referred to as 'out of court resolutions’, but there will be a transition period. The terminology will be fully updated in this APP once the term has been updated in legislation.
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APP is the authoritative source for UK policing practice and is updated over time. For the current, official version — including any operational detail not reproduced here — go direct.
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.