Offences to be taken into Consideration (TICs)
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 It may omit detail or fall out of date.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 prosecution guidance outlines the principles and procedures for taking offences into consideration during sentencing. It covers the benefits of TICs, general principles regarding their acceptance, procedural safeguards, and specific guidelines for different court scenarios, including magistrates' and Crown Courts. The guidance emphasizes the importance of ensuring that TICs do not compromise public interest or lead to disproportionate sentencing.
Key points
- Defendants must personally admit offences for TICs.
- Public interest must be considered before accepting TICs.
- Procedural safeguards are necessary to ensure fairness in TIC cases.
- Compensation can be considered in TIC scenarios according to specific limits.
- Crown Courts can take offences into consideration even if already charged.
- Rejection of TICs by a defendant should be documented and addressed.
Public-interest factors
- Protect the public from serious offences.
- Maintain public confidence in the criminal justice system.
- Ensure appropriate sentencing reflective of all offences.
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.