Chief Crown Prosecutor East of England: Grace Ononiwu OBE

Grace Ononiwu qualified as a Solicitor in 1990.  She originally joined a private firm of solicitors in High Wycombe practising criminal law but joined the CPS in 1990 as a Crown Prosecutor.

Grace has held a number of positions in the CPS, which led to her ultimate appointment as Northamptonshire CCP in April 2005, making her the first African Caribbean to be appointed to that position in the history of the CPS.

Grace has made a significant contribution to the CPS Equality and Diversity agenda and was Chair of the National Black Crown Prosecutors Association. Grace took up the post of the Chair of the Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) in Northamptonshire in June 2008.

In April 2009 Grace was appointed Legal Director for North Region, London and she is now Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (DCCP) for the London Districts.

Grace took up her post as Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP) for the East of England Area in August 2012 and is based in Chelmsford, Essex.