The CPS operates across England and Wales, with 14 regional teams prosecuting cases locally.

Each of these CPS Areas is headed by a Chief Crown Prosecutor, and works closely with local police forces and other criminal justice partners.

CPS Direct is the out-of-hours service for the CPS.

We work closely with the police, although we are independent of them, providing them with advice on whether they can charge a suspect who is in custody. We do this by reviewing evidence gathered by police and deciding whether the suspect should be prosecuted, using the test set out in our Code for Crown Prosecutors.

Our duty is to prosecute the right people for the right offences. Here at CPS Direct we deal specifically with cases where the suspect cannot be released on bail because they pose a risk to the public.

Once a decision has been made on a case by a CPS Direct prosecutor it is passed on to one of our 14 geographical CPS Areas which takes local responsibility of the progression of the case through the courts.

Our Structure

We have over 250 colleagues based across England and Wales working through the night, at weekends and bank holidays to respond to cases referred to us by the police.

Our team is made up of experienced prosecutors and operational delivery colleagues and who are committed to the delivery of justice. We aim to act professionally and strive for excellence, continually looking to improve our service and the way we work.

CPS Direct is headed by Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP) Huw Rogers, whose responsibilities include carrying out prosecutions; setting and maintaining professional and ethical standards; contributing to national policy and strategy and ensuring effective employee relations.

The CCP is supported by a team of senior managers with expertise in legal and business management matters. On the legal side, support is provided by Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, Anton Allera. Vicky Readman is the Head of Area Operations and has responsibility for the business and operational delivery functions.

Huw Rogers, Chief Crown Prosecutor

Huw joined the CPS in 2004 as a Senior Crown Prosecutor after 12 years in private practice.

He was Head of the Complex Casework Unit and the RASSO Unit in CPS South West before joining CPS Cymru-Wales in 2018, where he was Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor responsible for magistrates’ courts’ work from 2020 to 2022 and for Crown Court and RASSO work from 2022 to 2026.

Since 2021, Huw has been CPS lead for Case Progression, and from 2023 to 2026 co-chair of the Joint Case Progression Working Group. Huw was appointed Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Direct in March 2026.

Vicky Readman, Head of Area Operations

Vicky brings 27 years of experience within the Crown Prosecution Service, with more than two decades spent in operational leadership roles. She began her career in the CPS North East Area in 1998, gaining experience across a range of business and project management positions before moving to HQ Operations to join the Compliance Team.

In 2018, Vicky was appointed Head of the Business Centre in the Yorkshire and Humberside Area, one of the largest CPS regions. To broaden her leadership experience and build a national portfolio, she later took on the role of Head of Professions and Apprenticeships within the People Function, aligned to Learning and Development. Alongside this, Vicky successfully completed a Business Management degree apprenticeship and achieved Chartered Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Prior to her appointment to the Head of Area Operations role in CPS Direct, Vicky served as Head of Learning Business Support, leading a national team with responsibility for apprenticeship delivery, legal pathways, contracts, scheduling, and the management of budgets and resources.

Contact information for CPS Direct VRR

CPS Direct Victim Liaison Unit
Phone number: 01904 545605
Email: [email protected]

Our Central Casework Divisions deal with some of the most complex cases we prosecute. They work closely with specialist investigators from a range of organisations, including the National Crime Agency, HM Revenue & Customs and the Independent Police Complaints Commission, as well as police forces across England and Wales.

The specialist divisions, each headed by a Head of Division (equivalent to a Chief Crown Prosecutor), are:

• Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID), including CPS Proceeds of Crime (CPSPOC)
• Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division