Paula Abrahams:
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor

Paula was called to the Bar in 1987 and joined the Crown Prosecution Service in the same year as a newly qualified Lawyer. She originally started with the service in London and then moved onto the Essex Area.

Paula subsequently progressed within the service to the positions of Principal Crown Prosecutor, Prosecution Team Leader and Criminal Justice Unit Head.

Between 1998 and 1999 Paula had lead responsibly for the Crown Prosecution Service in Essex, working with partner agencies, for the implementation across the area of reducing delay in the Criminal Justice System. In January 2000 she was appointed Project Manager of the joint Police/CPS team responsible for the restructuring of the Essex Area.

Paula was the Criminal Case Management Programme Manager and worked with partner agencies, on behalf of the Essex Criminal Justice Board to design, implement and review new initiatives. These included the charging initiative, Effective Trial Management (ETMP) and the No Witness, No Justice Project (NWNJ) as well as a number of other area projects.

Paula was the Chair of the Criminal Case Management multi agency action team with direct responsibility for the Offences Brought to Justice and Sanctioned Detection PSA targets.

Paula was appointed to the post of Chief Crown Prosecutor in Essex in January 2006 before moving on to take up the post of Chief Crown Prosecutor in Suffolk in August 2007 and was responsible for leading the dedicated prosecution team handling Suffolk's highest profile case, namely that of Steve Wright charged with the Ipswich murders, to a successful conclusion.

In April 2008, Paula was appointed as the Chair of Suffolk Criminal Justice Board and working with all Criminal Justice Agency Chief Officer partners is responsible for the delivery of Criminal Justice System services across the county of Suffolk.

Paula is now the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the East of England Area, which comprises Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.