Baljit Ubhey introduces CPS Thames and Chiltern

In a short video, Baljit Ubhey, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern, gives some background and explains the work of the Area.

This video is also available in QuickTime format: Baljit Ubhey CCP video (.mov, approx 17mb) (Opens in new window)

Text transcript of the video

Hello, My name is Baljit Ubhey - I'm the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Thames and Chiltern Area.

I just want to tell you a little bit about my background: I did a Law degree at the London School of Economics and then I did a Masters in Law at University College, London. I then started my legal career within the CPS as a legal trainee at CPS Hertfordshire.

Since then, I have worked in a range of different Areas and roles and eventually I became Chief Crown Prosecutor for Thames Valley in 2004. Since then, the CPS has restructured and I am now the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Thames and Chiltern Area, which covers Thames Valley, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

My role as CCP means that I am responsible for all the prosecutions within the Thames and Chiltern Area. That can be from the most minor road traffic offences all the way through to the most serious cases, including rapes and murders.

The Thames and Chiltern Area is a very large geographical area and actually has a really complicated demographic picture. That's what makes it very challenging and interesting. We have approximately 80,000 prosecutions in the magistrates' court with an 85 per cent conviction rate, on average. In the Crown Court, we have about 8,500 prosecutions and a conviction rate of about 80 per cent. Although the conviction rates are reasonably strong, I would like to focus on improving them even further.

The other things I want to focus on in the Thames and Chiltern Area are improving on particular areas of crime, such as hate crime, domestic violence and serious sexual offences. I think these crimes can have a really corrosive effect on society and the prosecution service has a role to play in reducing those types of crime.

Another really important area for the CPS locally to focus on is the quality of service that we provide to victims and witnesses. They play a very significant role in contributing to delivering justice locally, and I want to make sure we're giving the best possible service.

I'm also really interested to find out what local people think about the Crown Prosecution Service, so please do go to our website, where you can provide feedback, and do ask questions. It's really important that local people know what the CPS does, and understand how were doing.