Relations with other prosecuting agencies and the Prosecutors’ Convention
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 It may omit detail or fall out of date.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 statutory duties and procedural principles involved in coordinating between the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and other prosecuting agencies. It emphasizes the importance of the Prosecutors’ Convention, which provides guidelines for managing common interests in prosecutions and investigations. The guidance covers various procedural areas including the institution of proceedings, common prosecuting interest, assigning proceedings, and providing advice.
Key points
- CPS has a statutory duty to take over criminal proceedings initiated by the police under specific sections of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.
- The Prosecutors’ Convention mandates cooperation among various prosecuting agencies.
- Proceedings may be assigned to another agency if they have a greater interest in the case.
- CPS intervention in private prosecutions is rare and only occurs under specific circumstances.
- Advice should be provided by CPS when it is the appropriate body for the case.
- Financial arrangements regarding costs when cases are assigned are outlined in the guidance.
Public-interest factors
- Coordination of investigations to serve the public interest.
- Ensuring fair prosecution across multiple agencies.
- Maintaining efficient resource allocation among prosecuting bodies.
- Protecting victims' rights during overlapping investigations.
- Substantiating reasons before taking over proceedings.
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.