Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division (SCCTD)
The CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division deals with some of our most high profile and demanding cases.
There are three operational units within SCCTD:
Executive team of Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division
Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor
Frank is a Barrister who joined the CPS as legal trainee 1992 and has held a number of senior roles across the CPS. He became a Higher Courts Advocate in 2002, and a District Crown Prosecutor in Norwich before joining CPS Direct and later becoming Chief Crown Prosecutor for Cambridgeshire.
He was Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the East of England before joining the Specialist Fraud Division.
Frank held the position of Head of Special Crime until moving on to become a Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP) in the South East in 2018, moving to the East of England as CCP in 2021.
Frank has led national projects and from 2015 to 2024 was the national chief officer lead for organised immigration crime (OIC). This included representing the UK at the Council of Europe Network of Prosecutors on Migrant Smuggling, which facilitates international co-operation on OIC cases.
Victims' Right to Review
In 2013 the remit of the Appeals Unit was expanded to include responsibility for the centralised, formal review stage of the Victims' Right to Review (VRR) Scheme. Consequently, the unit was renamed the Appeals and Review Unit (ARU).
The VRR Scheme gives victims of crime and bereaved families a clear mechanism through which they can obtain a full reconsideration of certain decisions not to proceed with their case.
Providing a quality service to victims of bereaved families in terrorist incidents, disasters and multi-fatality cases: Guidance
This document outlines CPS processes for engagement with victims and bereaved families.