Facts about the CPS

• The CPS is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald QC. The Director is superintended by the Attorney General, who is accountable to Parliament for the Service. The Director is supported by a Chief Executive, who is responsible for running the business on a day-to-day basis, allowing the Director to concentrate on prosecution, legal issues and criminal justice policy.
• The CPS has 42 Areas across England and Wales, divided into 15 regional groups. Each Area is headed by a Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP) who is responsible for the delivery of a high quality prosecution service to his or her local Area. Headquarters staff are based in London, York and Birmingham. There is a 'virtual' 43rd Area, CPS Direct, which offers out-of-hours charging advice to the police.
• In October 2005, three new Casework Divisions were introduced to deal with organised crime, counterterrorism and specialised crime. These divisions were created in order to provide a first-class prosecution service to the Serious Organised Crime Agency and ensure that the CPS is capable of dealing with the full range of serious crime. Prosecuting these high profile cases enables CPS staff to demonstrate their skills at the highest levels and contribute to improving public confidence in the criminal justice system.
• The CPS is the largest law firm in the UK, dealing exclusively with criminal cases. At the end of March 2006, it employed a total of 8,775 people. About 30% are qualified prosecutors and more than 94% of all staff are engaged in, or support, frontline prosecutions.
• The CPS was created by the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.