Job market information
Finding out about prosecution services
The prosecution service is part of the justice sector, which is represented by Skills for Justice Sector Skills Council. It includes: forensic science; police and law enforcement; courts and tribunals; custodial care; community justice; plus fire and rescue services. The sector works to create and maintain a safe, just and stable society. Its purpose is to reduce crime and re‐offending, promote confidence in the criminal justice system, protect people and contribute to the reduction and fear of crime, and support the administration of justice. The sector employs around 600,000 employees in the UK across a range of organisations operating with different remits.
The prosecution service operates in:
- Crown Prosecution Service (England and Wales)
- Crown Office of the Procurator Fiscal (Scotland)
- Public Prosecution Service (Northern Ireland)
- Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (remit extends across the UK)
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales. As the principal prosecuting authority in England and Wales, it is responsible for: advising the police on cases for possible prosecution; reviewing cases submitted by the police; where the decision is to prosecute, determining the charge (in all but minor cases); preparing cases for court; and the presenting cases at court.
Key facts:
- In total there are 11,258 people working in prosecution services across the UK, of which:
- over 8,730 are employed by the Crown Prosecution Service, including around 2,800 lawyers
- 323 are employed in Revenue and Customs Prosecution Service
- Just over 1.3 million cases are heard in Magistrates’ courts and another 115,000 in Crown Court.
- The Crown Prosecution Service consists of 39 offices in England headed by a Chief Crown Prosecutor.
- 67% of the Crown Prosecution Service is female and 12% are from a minority ethnic background.
- Women across the justice sector as a whole tend to be concentrated in support roles.
Jobs in the industry range from: Legal trainees, Prosecutors, Caseworkers, Administrators, Crown Advocates, Witness Care Officer, Associate Prosecutor.
Entry and progression
There are three routes to becoming a Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, as follows:
- legal trainee in the CPS Legal Trainee Scheme
- solicitor who is admitted in England and Wales with a full current practising certificate
- barrister called to the English Bar who has completed pupillage
Each year, the Crown Prosecution Service recruits trainee barristers and solicitors. For entry, applicants need to have completed either the Legal Practice Course or the Bar Vocational Course or be in their final year of study. A legal trainee can progress to a Crown Prosecutor when both the course has been successfully completed and solicitor or barrister qualifications have been obtained. Legal trainees are also appointed from internal candidates.
Roles, such as administrative assistant or caseworker, do not require any qualification for entry. Qualifications for non‐legal staff in areas such as communication, equality and diversity, and human resources depend greatly on the role and vary widely.
For those thinking of a career change, points of entry into the sector are: administrator; caseworkers; witness care officer; prosecutors; and professional non‐legal staff. Roles such as administrator and caseworker have internal career progression pathways onto such roles as prosecutor, whereas normally entry into these roles would require outside qualifications and private practice experience.
There are a range of industry endorsed courses, undergraduate and post‐graduate courses and training schemes.
For job specific entry requirements, take a look at our job profiles.
Workforce statistics
| Number of UK employees: |
11,258 |
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| Number of UK employers: |
96 (Skills for Justice estimate based on incomplete dataset, 2007‐2008) |
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| Gender: |
67% of the Crown Prosecution Service workforce in England is female |
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| Ethnicity: |
88% of the Crown Prosecution Service workforce in England is white |
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| Age profile of the Justice sector as a whole: |
8% of people are aged 16‐24 years |
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| 25% are aged 25‐34 years |
| 30% are aged 35‐44 years |
| 5% are aged 45‐54 years |
| 11% are aged 55‐64 years |
| 1% are 65 years plus |
| Certain roles in the justice sector, such as police and prison officers, have a minimum age requirement of 18 years and 30 year retirement schemes. |
| 87% of the justice sector workforce is employed full‐time. |
[N.B. Data for Justice Sector does not include fire service activities. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2007‐2008.]
Employment trends and future prospects
Across the justice sector as a whole, there is a forecasted need for 136,000 people between 2007‐2017. In the longer term, government spending on Public Administration and Defence is expected to increase at a lower rate than the economy as a whole. Pressures to restrain government expenditure and cut costs mean increased productivity and efficiency will be essential for the sector.
Skill requirements and shortages
Amongst general Prosecution staff skills gaps include:
- first line management skills
- customer service skills
- being able to work sensitively with victims and witnesses
- management and leadership skills for legal professionals
Occupational trends
Due to the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, growth in the public administration (this includes the judicial activities and police and fire services) is likely to be around 1% per year to 2017. Declines are expected to be in administrative, clerical and secretarial roles, but increases in management and professional roles.
An emerging occupation is that of an Associate Prosecutor. Legislation has been introduced permitting Crown Prosecution Service staff who are not lawyers, to review and present a limited range of cases involving straightforward guilty pleas (e.g. shoplifting, possession of cannabis) in Magistrates’ Courts. These Associates work under the supervision of experienced Crown Prosecutors and divide their time between police stations, where they review cases, and local Magistrates’ Courts. This role provides a clear progression path from Administrative roles to Prosecutor roles in the Crown Prosecution Service.
Justice sector occupational distribution
| Managers and Senior Officials |
9% |
|---|
| Professional Occupations |
8% |
|---|
| Associate Professional and Technical |
54% |
|---|
| Administrative and Secretarial |
18% |
|---|
| Skilled Trades Occupations |
1% |
|---|
| Personal Service Occupations |
1% |
|---|
| Sales and Customer Service Occupations |
* |
|---|
| Process, Plant and Machine Operatives |
* |
|---|
| Elementary Occupations |
7% |
|---|
[N.B. Data does not include fire service activities. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2007‐2008.]
National and regional data
The East Midlands has 5 CPS Area Offices, which employ 590 full‐time equivalent staff. The five area offices are: Derbyshire; Leicestershire; Lincolnshire; Northamptonshire; and Nottinghamshire.
The East of England has 6 area offices that employ 610 full‐time equivalent staff. The offices are: Bedfordshire; Cambridgeshire; Essex; Hertfordshire; Norfolk; and Suffolk.
London has 2 Area Offices, which together employ approximately 2,160 full‐time equivalent staff, making it the largest CPS region. Additionally, the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office employs 323 staff, which is split between London and Manchester.
The North East has 3 Area Offices, which employ 460 full‐time equivalent staff. The three offices are: Cleveland; Durham; and Northumbria.
The North West has 5 Area Offices that employ 1,240 full‐time equivalent staff. The five offices are: Cheshire; Cumbria; Greater Manchester; Lancashire; and Merseyside. Additionally, the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office employs 323 staff, which is split between London and Manchester. The North West is the second largest region behind London.
The South East has 5 Area Offices that employ 890 full‐time equivalent staff. The five offices are: Hampshire; Kent; Surrey; Sussex; and Thames Valley.
The South West has 5 Area Offices that employ 530 full‐time equivalent staff. The five forces are: Avon and Somerset; Devon and Cornwall; Dorset; Gloucestershire; and Wiltshire.
The West Midlands has 4 Area Offices that employ 870 full‐time equivalent staff. The four offices are: Staffordshire; Warwickshire; West Midlands; and West Mercia.
Yorkshire and Humberside has 4 Area Offices that employ 910 full‐time equivalent staff, the third largest region in England. The four Area Offices are: Humberside; North Yorkshire; South Yorkshire; and West Yorkshire.
The Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service (PPSNI) was formally launched in 2005. The service is regionally based and employs 562 staff, of which 165 are lawyers. There is an expected replacement demand of 25% due to retirements by 2014. The following skill shortages have been identified: provision of experience for prosecutors; management skills for lawyers; potential impact of devolution; and management skills development.
In Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) provide independent public prosecution and deaths investigation service. It is a department of the Scottish Government and is headed by the Lord Advocate. The Procurator Fiscal Service is divided into 11 areas, with an Area Procurator Fiscal for each. There is a network of 48 Procurator Fiscal offices, one for each Sheriff Court district. It employs 1,520 staff of which 30% are legal staff. The following skill shortages have been identified: increased partnership working; leadership and management; and keeping up with legislative change.
In Wales, the Crown Prosecution Service employs over 470 full‐time equivalent staff over four Areas Offices, including: Dyfed Powys; North Wales; Gwent; and South Wales.
Salary levels
Salary ranges:
- Administrative Support Assistant – between £13,283 and £16,081 (London: £14,061 ‐ £17,205)
- Caseworker – between £15,225 and £18,764 (London: £16,439 ‐ £20,139)
- Crown Prosecutor – between £27,393 and £31,002 (London £29,296 – £33,531)
- Senior Crown Prosecutor – between £34,957 and £42,224 (London £36,355 – £43,807)
- Chief Crown Prosecutor – between £75,218 and £135,012
- Crown Advocate – between £46,506 and £58,002 (London: £50,059 ‐ £62,433)
- Senior Crown Advocate – between £61,225 and £65,799 (London: £63,883 ‐ £68,482)
Career paths
Further sources
Produced Sept 2010, using Skills for Justice AACS LMI report (Jun 2010)
