If you would like to complain about the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) then there is a prescribed procedure to follow. You should aim to make a complaint as soon as possible and within six months of the date complained of. Initially it is recommended that you attempt an informal resolution by contacting the local CPS office or staff member involved and explain the nature of the complaint. If your complaint cannot be resolved at this stage then there is a three-stage resolution procedure to follow.

1. Your complaint will be formally recorded and reviewed by a local manager in the CPS office you are complaining about. A lawyer manager will review complaints about legal decisions.
2. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint or there are any outstanding issues then these will be reviewed by a more senior manager. Legal decisions will usually be reviewed by the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the relevant area or the Headquarters Director. Non-legal decisions will normally be reviewed by the Area Business Manager or the Headquarters Director. A further response within a specified timescale will be provided.
3. If a complaint remains unresolved then it might be referred, via the Correspondence Unit at CPS Headquarters, for consideration by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Chief Executive, or a senior manager nominated on their behalf. It will be for you to set out any outstanding issues and to explain why the complaint should be the subject of a further review. A reply at this stage marks the end of the formal CPS complaints procedure.
4. If you are still dissatisfied with the way the complaint has been handled by the CPS, the complaint may be referred to the Attorney General’s Office. The purpose of this referral is to establish whether the CPS has correctly followed its complaints procedure. Legal decisions will not be considered.

If at any stage you are dissatisfied with the resolution of your complaint and wish to escalate the complaint then you should do so within one month of the reply.

The CPS aims to record and acknowledge complaints at each stage of the formal process within three working days of receipt of the complaint. It also aims to give a full response within 20 working days. Stage 3 complaints should be dealt with within 40 working days.

If you require any assistance making a complaint then contact a CROP parent support worker.

For further information about making complaints to the CPS visit: www.cps.gov.uk/contact/feedback_and_complaints/complaints_policy.html