Until recently, English law was almost unique in that most prosecutions were brought by the police rather than by public prosecutors. This book examines why the police acquired that power, what was its social significance and what was distinctive about its evolution, compared with policing in Scotland and Ireland. The creation of the Crown Prosecution Service in 1986 was an attempt to make a significant change to practices that had developed in the 19th century. This study traces the emergence of the old system, assesses its importance and asks how difficult it may be to change it. The assumption of the role of public prosecutor by the new police was a critical and hitherto unexamined, change in English criminal law. This book explores the distinctive nature of that development and re-examines the creation of the new police. The themes discussed include policing before the police, how prosecution was organized in the 18th century, how the coming of the new police affected the 19th century system, and what social purposes and meanings were invested in the act of prosecution, both before and after the uniformed policeman became the ubiquitous representative of state power.