If You Need to Make a Complaint
Understanding police and CPS complaints - and what to do when decisions don’t feel right
If your experience with the police or the CPS has left you feeling dismissed, ignored, or harmed - you’re not alone.
There are ways to raise concerns. But the process can feel formal, difficult to navigate, and at times retraumatising - especially when it asks you to revisit something you’ve already had to carry.
This is a simple guide to how those systems work and how to approach them to protect you.
Starting from where you are
Making a complaint isn’t just administrative. It’s about naming something that didn’t feel right, and asking for it to be taken seriously. There’s no single way to do that. You’re allowed to take your time, to ask for support, and to step away if it becomes too much.
Complaints about the police
Concerns about the police are usually raised directly with the force involved - whether that relates to how you were treated, how an investigation was handled, or a lack of communication.
You can also submit a complaint through the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
If you do, it will still be passed to the police for assessment and response. The IOPC is not involved at the initial stage in most cases, but may independently investigate more serious matters or oversee how complaints are handled.
There is no strict deadline, but complaints are generally expected within 12 months. In most cases, you will also need to have been directly affected by what happened.
Complaints about the CPS
Concerns about the CPS can relate to how your case was handled, how decisions were communicated, delays, or your overall experience of the service.
The process begins with the CPS itself and is handled in stages, starting locally and moving to a more senior review if needed. For service complaints, there is a further independent review stage through the Independent Assessor of Complaints.
There is a time limit here - complaints are usually expected within six months, and are only considered later in exceptional circumstances.
Complaints are not the same as reviews
A complaint looks at how you were treated. A review looks at whether a decision was right.
If you are challenging a decision not to charge, to discontinue a case, or to offer no evidence, this falls under the Victims’ Right to Review (VRR).
You usually need to request a VRR within three months of being told the decision, although late requests may sometimes be accepted. If you need more time, ask them. For Jade Blue, she asked that the right to review request timeframe be extended until she received her subject access request to ensure she had all the relevant information prior to submitting the VRR.
The complaint and VRR processes can run alongside each other, but they do different things.
What happens if a review or complaint doesn’t resolve things
If you remain dissatisfied after completing the complaints process (particularly for CPS or other public service complaints), you may be able to escalate to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, usually through your MP.
For complaints about CPS service, there is also a final independent review stage through the Independent Assessor of Complaints before any further escalation.
In some cases, where a decision itself is being challenged, and other routes have been exhausted, one of the few remaining legal options may be a challenge by way of judicial review. This is a strict, time-limited process that requires specialist legal advice.
Support - and reality
These processes can be difficult to navigate on your own. Support workers - such as ISVAs, IDVAs, or other advocates - can often help with complaints, including drafting and communication.
It’s also worth knowing that most solicitors do not take on complaints themselves unless they are linked to a wider legal claim.
A trauma-informed approach
Engaging with complaint processes can bring things back to the surface. It’s not just paperwork - it’s memory, language, and being asked to explain something that may already have taken a lot to process.
There is no need to get it perfect. Some people start with notes or voice memos. Others need someone alongside them. You don’t have to do everything in one go.
A note on power
These systems can feel one-sided. You may be asked to evidence your experience within structures that already made you feel unheard. That tension is real. But complaints still matter. They create records, reveal patterns, and contribute to pressure for change - even when outcomes feel limited.
Final thought
You are not difficult to raise concerns. You are not overreacting to naming harm. If something feels wrong, it deserves to be looked at. Even if the process isn’t perfect. Even if the outcome is uncertain.
The Centre for Women’s Justice
There are also organisations like Centre for Women’s Justice, which provide clear signposting - helping people understand the different legal routes available and how to take the next step.
Click on the image to head over to their page.
