Public Justice Offences
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 It may omit detail or fall out of date.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 guidance outlines various public justice offences including perverting the course of justice, perjury, and intimidation of witnesses. It explains the nature of these offences, their definitions, examples of conduct that may constitute each offence, and the relevant considerations for prosecution. The document also discusses public interest in prosecuting such offences and provides guidance on charge selection based on the seriousness of the conduct involved.
Key points
- Public justice offences are serious and may require prosecution in the public interest.
- Conduct aimed at perverting the course of justice can include intimidation of witnesses.
- Each offence's maximum prison sentences range from six months to life imprisonment.
- Prosecutors must carefully assess culpability and harm when selecting charges.
- A statutory offence should generally be prosecuted over a common law offence unless justified.
Public-interest factors
- Seriousness of the offence
- Potential harm to the administration of justice
- Protection of witnesses and those involved in criminal proceedings
- National interest in upholding the rule of law
- Need to deter future offences
- Consideration of public confidence in the justice system
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.