Private Prosecutions

A private prosecution is a criminal prosecution brought by someone other than the traditional public prosecuting authorities. 

A private prosecution will commonly be commenced by an individual, a company, or an organisation who has been a victim of crime and who wants to hold the offender to account through the criminal justice process.

There are already a number of organisations who actively use private prosecution powers and have done for a sometime – for example, the RSPCA, who privately prosecute offences of cruelty against animals.

Whilst private prosecutions might not be that well-known, they are becoming increasingly popular in England and Wales.