The Metropolitan Police issues a 14-page guidance document listing dozens of “inappropriate terms” that officers should avoid when writing reports sent to senior officers or to Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyers ahead of prosecution decisions. The guidance is presented as a way to ensure wording in case materials does not create legal or procedural problems.
The report describes a dispute over the guide, with legal experts warning that officers could risk problems for cases if they do not follow the instructions. One concern raised is that restrictions on certain terms could affect how facts are recorded and interpreted in the decision-making process, potentially leading to miscarriages of justice if the guidance is applied incorrectly or too narrowly.
Outlet coverage focuses on different implications of the same document: some framing centers on the need for careful language in prosecutorial communications, while the criticism highlights operational and legal risks. The shared point across reporting is that the document sets out specific terminology that officers are expected to use—or avoid—before cases progress to prosecution.
