Withdrawal of Warrants
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 It may omit detail or fall out of date.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 covers the protocols and decision-making processes involved in the withdrawal of warrants. It outlines the roles of both the CPS and police in assessing whether to request a court to withdraw a warrant based on the Full Code Test. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of maintaining communication with victims and bereaved families regarding the withdrawal of warrants and its implications on their cases.
Key points
- CPS follows the Fail to Appear Criminal Warrants Protocol in warrant withdrawal cases.
- Decision to withdraw a warrant should typically involve CPS unless under specified proceedings.
- Application of Full Code Test is required before seeking warrant withdrawal.
- Victims' and bereaved families' insights are crucial in the decision-making process.
- Prosecutors must assess each charge individually when applying the Full Code Test.
- Public interest must be considered if there is a charge of failing to surrender.
Public-interest factors
- Impact on administration of justice
- Victims' views on prosecution
- Circumstances surrounding the original charge changes
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.