Coronavirus: Interview Protocol between National Police Chiefs’ Council, Crown Prosecution Service, The Law Society, Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association and London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association
Plain-English digest of CPS prosecution guidance.
AI-generated summary — not verbatim. This is a plain-English digest, not the official CPS text. It may omit detail or fall out of date. Do not rely on it for a charging decision — read the full guidance on cps.gov.uk and check the current legislation.
The Joint Interim Interview Protocol (JIIP) was established in April 2020 as a temporary measure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing interviews with suspects to be conducted remotely under specific conditions. The latest revision (Version 4) published on 4 October 2021 supports in-person attendance of defence representatives during police interviews, barring exceptional circumstances. This guidance outlines the procedural changes that have occurred in response to evolving lockdown restrictions.
Key points
- Introduced in April 2020 as a temporary measure for the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Allows remote interviews via video or audio links with informed consent from the suspect.
- Version 4 reflects relaxation of lockdown restrictions.
- Default position is in-person attendance of defence representatives unless exceptional circumstances exist.
This is a factual digest of guidance published by the Crown Prosecution Service. Digested 2026-07-15. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the CPS.