Non-catalytic caspase homolog which does not contain the region necessary for caspase activity (PubMed:9857046). Acts as an inhibitor of caspase ced-3 zymogen autoactivation and delays ced-4-induced ced-3 processing (PubMed:18776901). Has no effect on active ced-3 (PubMed:18776901). Probably by preventing ced-3 activation, protects cells, whose fate is to live, from apoptosis during embryonic and larval development (PubMed:18776901). Interacts with ced-3 (via large subunit p17); the interaction prevents ced-3 autoactivation. Expressed in embryo and in larvae. Hatching is impaired in 5-6 percent of mutant embryos and about 2 percent of adults have uncoordinated movement (PubMed:18776901). In the anterior pharynx of L4 larvae, several cells including muscle and neuronal cells that normally survive during development are missing (PubMed:18776901). Slight increase in the number of cell corpses during embryonic development (PubMed:18776901). In a ced-5 n1812 or ced-6 n2095 mutant background, where cell corpse engulfment is defective, the number of cell corpses during embryonic development and in L1 larvae is further increased (PubMed:18776901). In a ced-3 n2427 or ced-3 n2427 and cps-3 n4872 mutant background, no extra pharyngeal cells caused by impaired apoptosis are produced (PubMed:23505386). In a csp-3 n4872, csp-1 n4967 and ced-3 n3692 mutant background, pharyngeal cells, that are normally fated to die, survive and 16 percent of animals have still 1 or more cell corpses that are morphologically apoptotic and are internalized by engulfing cells (PubMed:23505386). In addition, apoptosis of the male linker cell occurs normally (PubMed:23505386). Belongs to the peptidase C14A family.