Humanitarian, Development and Peacebuilding Work Overseas
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 It may omit detail or fall out of date.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.
This CPS prosecution guidance outlines the framework for prosecuting terrorism-related offences in contexts involving humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding work overseas. It emphasizes the importance of applying counter-terrorism legislation in a manner that does not hinder such vital efforts. The guidance also addresses considerations for prosecutors in determining public interest factors when contemplating prosecution in these sensitive areas.
Key points
- The CPS acts independently in assessing prosecution cases related to terrorism.
- Prosecutions require evidence meeting the Full Code Test of a realistic prospect of conviction.
- Counter-terrorism laws should not interfere with essential humanitarian work.
- Prosecutors must consider public interest factors when evaluating cases involving NGOs.
- No prosecutions have been recorded against international NGOs for terrorism-related offences in this context.
Public-interest factors
- Seriousness of the offence committed
- Culpability of the suspect
- Circumstances and harm to the victim
- Age and maturity of the suspect
- Impact on the community
- Proportionality of prosecution
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.