Announcements from the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee
Latest news about the Criminal Procedure Rules, the Criminal Practice Directions and the Rule Committee.
2026
April 2026
Criminal Procedure Rule changes now in force
The changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules made by the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2026 came into force on Monday 6 April 2026. The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 and Practice Directions page now includes those changes.
February 2026
The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2026
The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has made some changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules. The guide to the new rules below describes those changes. The new rules are published on the legislation.gov.uk website. When they come into force, on Monday 6 April 2026, the changes they make to the Criminal Procedure Rules will appear on the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 and Practice Directions 2023 page, too
2025
October 2025
Criminal Procedure Rule Committee appointments
Lord Justice Holroyde, Ms Justice Norton, Shade Abiodun and Chief Constable Rob Nixon all have retired from the Committee. We are indebted to them for their service. The Lady Chief Justice has appointed Lord Justice Edis as a Court of Appeal judge member and as the Committee’s deputy chair, Mr Justice Griffiths as a High Court judge member, and HH Judge Gareth Branston as a Circuit judge member. The Lord Chancellor has appointed Bartholomew Dalton as a solicitor member and Chief Constable Tim De Meyer as the Committee member nominated by the National Police Chiefs Council. The list of Committee members has been brought up to date to include these appointments.
Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 now in force
The new, consolidated, Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 came into force on Monday 6 October 2025. The Rules page on this website now contains the new rules.
July 2025
The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025
The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has made a new consolidation of the Criminal Procedure Rules. The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 replace the Criminal Procedure Rules 2020 and the amendments made to those rules since then. The guide beneath describes them. When the new rules come into force, on Monday 6 October 2025, they will replace the rules on the page at Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020.
April 2025
Criminal Procedure Rule changes now in force
The changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules made by the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2025 came into force on Monday 7 April 2025. The Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020 page now includes those changes.
February 2025
Index to the Criminal Procedure Rules and Criminal Practice Directions
The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has published an index to the Criminal Procedure Rules and Criminal Practice Directions. The index is published on the Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020 page.
The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2025
The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has made some changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules. The guide to the new rules, below, describes those changes. The new rules are published on the Legislation website. When they come into force, on Monday 7 April 2025, the changes they make to the Criminal Procedure Rules will appear on the Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020 page.
2024
October 2024
Criminal Procedure Rule Committee appointments
District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) Michael Snow and Alison Pople KC both have retired from the Committee. We are indebted to them for their service. The Lady Chief Justice has appointed District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) Michael Oliver as the District Judge member of the Committee and the Lord Chancellor has appointed Jacob Hallam KC as a barrister member. The list of Committee members has been brought up to date to include these appointments.
Criminal Procedure Rule changes now in force
Some changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules made by the Criminal Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2024 came into force on Monday 7 October 2024. The Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020 page now includes those changes.
Other rule changes, the ones about (i) allocating and sending cases for trial in the Crown Court by an online written procedure, (ii) rights of appeal about domestic abuse protection orders, and (iii) referring to the Court of Appeal cases on the interpretation of case law affected by European Union law, will come into force only when the relevant new statutory provisions come into force.
August 2024
The Criminal Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2024
The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has made some changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules. The guide to the new rules, below, describes those changes. The new rules are published on the Legislation website. When they come into force, on Monday 7 October 2024, the changes they make to the Criminal Procedure Rules will appear on the Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020 page.
April 2024
Criminal Procedure Rule changes now in force
The changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules made by the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2024 came into force on Monday 1 April 2024. The Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020 page now includes those changes.
February 2024
The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2024
The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has made some changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules. The guide to the new rules, below, describes those changes. The new rules are published on the Legislation website. When they come into force, on Monday 1 April 2024, the changes they make to the Criminal Procedure Rules will appear on the Criminal Procedure Rules and Practice Directions 2020 page.
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Updates to this page
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Added April 2026 update: criminal procedure rule changes now in force
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The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2026 update.
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Added October 2025 update: Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 now in force
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Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 announcement and guide published.
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Added April 2025 update: criminal procedure rule changes now in force
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Added update: Index to the Criminal Procedure Rules and Criminal Practice Directions
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Added February 2025 update: The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2025 and guide to the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2025.
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Appointments update.
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Added October 2024 update: Criminal Procedure Rule changes now in force
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Criminal Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2024 update.
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Criminal Procedure Rule changes now in force update.
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Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2024 update.
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October 2023 update published.
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Updated for September 2023.
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July 2023 update published.
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Criminal Procedure Rule Committee appointment update.
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Criminal Practice Directions 2023 update.
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April 2023 update published.
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Vacancy for a Criminal Procedure Rule Committee member announced.
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February 2023 update.
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Criminal Procedure Rule changes now in force update.
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Criminal Procedure Rule Committee appointments published.
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August 2022 updated published.
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Criminal Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2022 announcement
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April announcements published.
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The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2022 announcement.
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October announcement published.
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Criminal Procedure Rule Committee appointment added.
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The Criminal Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2021 update.
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June 2021 update published.
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Criminal Procedure Rule Committee appointment update.
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April 2021 update published
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Update for February 2021 published.
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Announcement regarding Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2021 published.
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Sentencing Act changes added.
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First published.