Salma Yousef - Associate Prosecutor, Thames & Chiltern
I joined the CPS from an agency on a 3 month temporary contract in Human Resources whilst studying for my Masters in Law (LLM). My contract kept on getting renewed and a year later I found I was still here. During that time I learnt a lot about the CPS and had some excellent opportunities to develop my skills and really find out what prosecution was about. I then completed the Bar full time whilst working at the CPS part time, real evidence that the CPS takes flexible working seriously.
Before joining the CPS I never thought I would prosecute. I felt so strongly about representing vulnerable defendants but in the time I have been here, I have realised that being a fair prosecutor is just as important if not more so, in terms of the impact of our work on the community. I am also proud that the CPS is headed up by one of the former leading defence lawyers in the country. I think that understanding and objectivity at the highest level is really important.
Now I feel I am probably one of the most fortunate of my colleagues from Bar School; whilst my goal is to become a Pupil Barrister and a Crown Advocate and progress beyond, for now I am really enjoying my role and the opportunity to cut my teeth. The advocacy in the magistrates' court and making decisions on files is a steep learning curve but also a very exciting one. The experience is invaluable and is a great way to apply what I learnt at Bar School.
My role gives me powers to deal with a significant range of work in the magistrates court
My role gives me powers to deal with a significant range of work in the magistrates' court, from straightforward guilty pleas to pre trial reviews, as well as dealing with bail applications in the remand court - now that's something I definitely learnt at Bar School! I have also recently been trained as a Domestic Violence specialist prosecutor. Domestic Violence is a complex area and I think the training has definitely built my confidence in handling cases of a domestic nature, and I am now starting to deal with some of the specialist Domestic Violence Courts.
There is no denying it, being an Associate Prosecutor is a high pressure job, often having responsibility for a court list with up to 30 cases in one day! It is however an extremely rewarding one. When a police officer comes and thanks you, or measures are put in place which enable a victim to attend court and give evidence which leads to a conviction, it is times like these that I am really glad I gave prosecution a chance.
The highs of the role for me are the advocacy and the continued development of this skill. Also understanding how a case is prepared and developing the confidence to make decisions. Being an Associate Prosecutor gives me the opportunities to learn about and experience the prosecution process in its entirety and to develop skills that will help me to one day become a Crown Advocate.
The lows - well the decisions can be tough, for example we deal with a lot of domestic violence cases and a number of issues can arise in these cases, which can be difficult to reconcile with the safety of the victim. Making that judgement call is often hard and my Line Manager will generally advise on such cases. But still sometimes you do feel a certain empathy with the victim and it's hard when tough decisions have to be made.
Working for the CPS for almost three years, I have seen how well the CPS invest in their staff. Not just in terms of standard training, but also Area days and instilling a really positive ethos from the outset. I can't forget the first meeting I had with my line manager when I became an Associate Prosecutor, all my objectives were set on the basis of 'When you become a Crown Prosecutor'. That support was very important in terms of building engagement with the Area I work in and also with the CPS as a whole. There are also lots of opportunities to shadow lawyers, observe charging at the police station and even shadow judges or do placements with chambers, as well as getting involved in community engagement - a very different ethos from the self employed bar!
