CPS issues new guidance to speed up hate crime prosecutions

The updated guidance, issued by Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson, places greater emphasis on progressing cases at an earlier stage, with prosecutors encouraged to focus on core evidence and proceed where the evidential threshold is met.

Key changes include allowing charging decisions to be made before all supporting material has been gathered, greater reliance on victim accounts at the charging stage, and a reduction in pre-charge disclosure requirements in some cases.

The CPS said the changes are intended to reduce delays and enable faster action in cases involving harassment, abuse and violence, particularly those affecting the Jewish community.

Stephen Parkinson said recent incidents had highlighted both serious violence and a wider pattern of daily abuse. “If we allow this behaviour to become normalised, then its seriousness will become diminished,” he said, adding that the revised approach would support quicker prosecutions and improved outcomes.

The changes are likely to have operational implications for forces, with an increased emphasis on securing strong initial evidence and early case building. Prosecutors may now be more willing to proceed on the basis of a credible victim account, supported by initial evidence such as photographs or medical records.

The guidance also encourages early consideration of preventative measures, including bail conditions, restraining orders and Criminal Behaviour Orders, aimed at reducing repeat offending.

However, the move to streamline charging decisions may place additional pressure on front-line officers and investigators to ensure that early evidence is robust, particularly in cases where further material is expected to follow post-charge.

The Community Security Trust welcomed the changes, with its director of policy Dave Rich saying quicker prosecutions could act as a deterrent and demonstrate that offences will be taken seriously.

Latest CPS data shows that religious and racially aggravated hate crime cases continue to achieve relatively high charge and conviction rates, with uplifted sentences applied in the majority of cases.

The updated guidance forms part of a broader effort to strengthen the criminal justice response to hate crime, with a particular focus on improving timeliness and victim confidence.