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General
https://www.gov.uk/browse/justice
Portal linking to the websites of all the principal actors in the criminal justice system. It should be the first port of call for anyone interested in criminal justice. Information is focussed on the victims of crime, witnesses, those accused of crime, and the role of jurors.
http://www.apccs.police.uk/
Home page for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, set up to assist the process of developing the role of elected Police Commissioners which took place in November 2012.
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/
Home page of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, the body which is charged by statute with examining and improving the efficiency of police forces and fire and rescue services throughout England and Wales. The site provides links to the variety of inspections that it undertakes.
Prosecutors
https://www.cps.gov.uk/
Home page for the Crown Prosecution Service. It is also the home page of the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Authority, which is responsible for prosecuting some of the UK's largest criminal cases, including drug smuggling, tax fraud, money laundering and cases dealing with endangered species. Site contains links to a large number of statements on prosecution policies.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/code-crown-prosecutors
The full text of the code used by the CPS when deciding which cases to prosecute before the courts is available at this site. However, it does not work directly. You have to go to the homepage (previous entry) and search for Code for Crown Prosecutors in the web search function.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/suicide-policy-prosecutors-respect-cases-encouraging-or-assisting-suicide
This is the website address for the CPS policy on prosecutions for assisting suicide. Same problem with accessing it directly. You have to go to the Home Page for the CPS and type ‘assisted suicide’ into the website search function
https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/rape-and-serious-sexual-offences-rasso-2025
Link to CPS policy statement on improving the outcome of investigations of rape and serious sexual offences cases.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/victims-right-review-scheme
Link to the statement of the right to review policy.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/deferred-prosecution-agreements-code-practice
Link to statement of policy relating to deferred prosecution agreements.
https://www.sfo.gov.uk/
Home page of the Serious Fraud Office. The SFO is a government department which forms part of the UK criminal justice system. Its aim is to investigate and prosecute serious and complex fraud and so deter fraud and maintain confidence in the probity of business and financial services in the United Kingdom.
https://www.sfo.gov.uk/publications/guidance-policy-and-protocols/deferred-prosecution-agreements/
Link to statement of the SFO policy on deferred prosecution agreements
http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/
Home page of the National Crime Agency which investigates serious and international crime.
Criminal investigations and trials
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/police-and-criminal-evidence-act-1984-pace-codes-of-practice
Links to the codes of practice relating to police powers.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/announcements-from-the-criminal-procedure-rule-committee
This site links to the Criminal Procedure Rules which govern how criminal trials are to be conducted.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/criminal-procedure-rule-committee
This is the site of the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, established in 2004 to develop common rules of procedure for the criminal courts.
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/
Home page for the Sentencing Council. The Council issues guidance to the courts (usually following consultation) on issues relating to the criminal trial process, principally on sentencing matters, but also on other related matters as well.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lammy-publishes-historic-review
Link to important review by David Lammy MP into racial bias in the criminal justice system
Paper setting out the Government’s response to the Lammy report.
Probation and prison
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/national-offender-management-service/about
Home page for the national offender management service, designed to bring together prison and probations services.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-prison-service
Introductory information about the Prison Service.
Youth justice
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/youth-justice-board-for-england-and-wales/about
Home page introducing the Youth Justice Board, established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The Board is responsible for: advising the Home Secretary on the operation of the youth justice system; monitoring the operation and performance of the youth justice system, including the youth court, the work of the offending teams and the delivery of secure accommodation; advising the Home Secretary on standards for the work of youth offending teams; identifying and disseminating good practice.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/youth-offenders
Link to guidance on the prosecution of young offenders
Magistrates
https://www.magistrates-association.org.uk/
Home page of the Magistrates' Association, a charity which represents about 80 percent of lay magistrates appointed to sit as Lay Justices in Magistrates' Courts.
Criminal statistics
https://www.gov.uk/search/all?keywords=criminal+statistics&order=relevance
Links to wide range of statistics on crime and criminal justice.
https://www.crimesurvey.co.uk/en/index.html
Home page of the crime survey for England and Wales (CSEW), which measures the amount of crime in England and Wales by asking people about crimes they have experienced in the last year. The CSEW includes crimes which are not reported to the police, so it is an important alternative to police records.
Review and parole
https://ccrc.gov.uk/
Home page of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, responsible for investigating alleged miscarriages of justice.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/parole-board
Page introducing the work of the Parole Board with links to pages about how it does its work.
Victim and witness perspectives
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/
Home page of Victim Support, the independent charity which helps people cope with the effects of crime.
https://victimscommissioner.org.uk/
Introduction to the work of the Victims’ Commissioner
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-code-of-practice-for-victims-of-crime
Sets out the practices to be adopted by criminal justice agencies in the treatment of victims of crime
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/criminal-injuries-compensation-authority
Introduction to the work of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority with links to information about how victims of crime may claim compensation for physical injury.
https://restorativejustice.org.uk/
Website of the Restorative Justice Council, which promotes processes designed to bring those harmed by crime or conflict, and those responsible for the harm, into communication, enabling everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward.
Home page of another agency promoting restorative justice
Inspectorates
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/#.VRE5yOH75QF
Home page of HM Inspectorate of Prisons, responsible for an annual programme of inspections of prisons, some of which are pre-planned, others of which are unannounced.
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/
Home page of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, charged with the responsibility to examine and improve the efficiency of police forces and fire and rescue services.
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/#.VRE6GOH75QE
Introduction to H M Inspectorate of Probation, responsible for ensuring that the National Probation Service and allied organisations are providing high quality advice to criminal and civil courts and to contributing to public protection by the effective supervision of offenders; and that such services represent value for money.
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmcpsi/
Home page of HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
Ombudsmen and complaints procedures (see also Chapter 6)
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/
Home page of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (formerly the Independent Police Complaints Commission), with information about its work and how to make a complaint.
https://www.ppo.gov.uk/
Home page of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. He is appointed by the Home Secretary and investigates complaints from prisoners and those subject to probation supervision, or those upon whom reports have been written. The Ombudsman is completely independent of both the Prison Service and the National Probation Service. It contains useful links to other ombudsman organisations and also to other bodies interested in penal reform and criminal justice.