Yorkshire and Humberside
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the main prosecuting authority in England and Wales. We work with all agencies in the criminal justice system, and liaise closely with the police, although we are independent from them.
The CPS has 14 operating Areas across England and Wales. CPS Yorkshire and Humberside is one of the largest CPS Areas outside London, serving a population of over five million. The Area covers West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, the Humber, and North East Lincolnshire.
CPS Yorkshire and Humberside is led by Chief Crown Prosecutor Jonathan Storer. He is supported by Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutors Michael Quinn, who has responsibility for the Complex Casework Unit, the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Unit and our team of Crown Advocates, Chris Hartley, who leads the Crown Court team, and Lauren Costello, who leads the Magistrates' Court team. Zoe Speake is our Area Business Manager and has responsibility for business and operational delivery functions across the region.
We currently employ over 500 people including lawyers, paralegals, administrators and specialist staff. We have offices in Leeds, Hull and Sheffield and every year we prosecute thousands of criminal cases in Magistrates’ Courts and Crown Courts across the region.
The legal work of our Area is supported by a dedicated team of administrators whose job it is to ensure that all our correspondence is dealt with promptly and the digital preparation of casework for court is dealt with efficiently.
Our Area Business Centre houses a team of specialists in the fields of performance, finance, human resources, health, safety and facilities, communications and inclusion.
Jonathan Storer, Chief Crown Prosecutor
Jonathan began his career as a Legal Advisor in North Yorkshire and qualified as a solicitor in 1996, before joining the CPS in 2001. Gaining a wide range of experience in various roles in Greater Manchester, he was appointed Senior District Crown Prosecutor in 2010.
Jonathan led a range of Magistrates' and Crown Court teams in Lancashire and Cumbria before moving to CPS London South in 2015 as Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, leading the Crown Court team. Jonathan moved on to join CPS Yorkshire and Humberside in September 2019 as Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Magistrates’ Court team.
Jonathan became the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Direct in June 2021 and then CCP for Mersey-Cheshire in October that year. In July 2024, he was appointed CCP for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside.
Chris Hartley, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (Crown Court team)
Chris was called to the bar in 1987, joining a London Chambers which primarily undertook criminal work across the North East. Having found the role of a prosecuting advocate a rewarding experience, Chris joined the CPS in September 1991 as a Senior Crown Prosecutor to widen his experience to include review and preparation of casework.
In 2014, Chris took up a new role in Leeds managing the North and West Yorkshire Magistrates' Courts Unit and in May 2017 became Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for Yorkshire and Humberside, responsible for Magistrates' courts work across the Area.
Michael Quinn, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, Complex Casework and Crown Advocacy)
Michael joined the CPS from private practice in 1993 as a Senior Crown Prosecutor. He has since held senior management positions in both Crown and Magistrates’ teams, and became Head of the Complex Casework Unit in 2018.
In October 2022, Michael began a six-month temporary promotion to Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor responsible for the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, Complex Casework Unit and our team of Crown Advocates.
Lauren Costello, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (Magistrates’ Court team)
Zoe Speake, Area Business Manager
Zoe studied law at university before joining the CPS in 1998 as an administrator and has worked in a number of operational roles including Paralegal Officer before becoming an Associate Prosecutor.
In 2016 she moved to a management role on the West Midlands Magistrates’ Court Unit. Progressing to Operational Business Manager of the Crown Court unit in 2017, she also spent time managing both the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences and Crown Court units before moving to the Head of Business Centre role in 2020.
In 2021 she became the Acting Area Business Manager for the West Midlands and in November that year joined Yorkshire and Humberside as Area Business Manager.
During her career in the CPS she has been involved in a number of digital implementations at the local level, including the move to our Case Management System (CMS), actively promoting and training on Modern CMS, and as one of the Digital Transformation Leads, she led the implementation for EGRESS in the West Midlands Area.
Our Magistrates’ Court Unit prosecutes a very wide range of offences. Generally they are those for which the maximum sentence does not exceed six months’ imprisonment (or 12 months if two or more offences are to be considered). The casework includes crimes of domestic violence, hate crime, assaults, criminal damage, minor public disorder incidents, all but the most serious traffic offences, possession of drugs, dangerous dog offences, offences of dishonesty and commercial burglaries.
The Crown Court Unit deals with very serious offences such as murder and manslaughter, robberies, serious assaults, fraud, the supply and trafficking of drugs, and the most serious road traffic offences, especially those that result in a death.
The Complex Casework Unit houses a team of highly experienced lawyers and caseworkers who handle our most serious and high profile cases. The bulk of their casework arises from serious and organised crime - particularly drugs importation and distribution; money laundering, organised crime, multi-defendant homicide, child sexual exploitation and serious fraud.
The Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit is a dedicated and specialist team which prosecutes cases such as rape, serious sexual offences and child abuse. The lawyers in this unit are all specially trained prosecutors who fully understand the sensitivities of prosecuting cases of this nature, and how difficult it can be for victims to come forward and if necessary, give evidence in court.
Regional Community Panels
We have three regional, thematic scrutiny panels, who inform our work on hate crime, domestic abuse and rape.
Panel members are drawn from a wide cross-section of community groups including charities, inter-agency partnerships and local authorities.
The overall remit of each panel is to scrutinise CPS casework and decision-making to improve performance and ensure the delivery of our Core Quality Standards. Panel members will undertake the following activities in relation to their specialist area of casework:
- Review and scrutinise non-active CPS case files;
- Identify issues, common themes and trends in the decision-making process, looking in particular at the impact of CPS decision-making on diverse communities;
- Make recommendations to the CPS to improve CPS performance and support to victims and witnesses;
- Provide feedback to colleagues and communities on the results of the panel and actions taken by the CPS in response to the panels observations and recommendations.
The panels meet between two and three times a year.
- Stop Hate UK - Support for people affected by hate crime. www.stophateuk.org
- Community Security Trust (CST) is a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats. www.cst.org.uk
- Calderdale Council - Works in partnership to build safer, stronger and connected communities. www.calderdale.gov.uk
- Kirklees Council - Works in partnership with West Yorkshire Police to provide support and guidance to victims of hate crime and take positive action against perpetrators. www.kirklees.gov.uk/hatereporting
- a:gender - The support network for staff in government departments / agencies who have changed or need to change permanently their perceived gender, or who identify as intersex. www.agender.org.uk
- Barnsley Community Safety Service - Responsible for addressing crime, anti-social behaviour and improving perceptions of public safety. www.barnsley.gov.uk/community-safety
- Bradford Hate Crime Alliance - Works jointly with strategic and operational partners to eliminate hate crime within Bradford Metropolitan District Council area. https://bradfordhatecrimealliance.com/
- North Lincolnshire Council - www.northlincs.gov.uk
- Communication Specialist College - Specialises in meeting the needs of students who are deaf or hearing impaired and those with communication difficulties including Autism and Aspergers. www.deaf-trust.co.uk/college
- Doncaster Council Community Safety Team – Works with the Safer Doncaster Partnership to improve communities across Doncaster, reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents. www.doncaster.gov.uk
- Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council - www.rotherham.gov.uk
- Humber All Nations Alliance (HANA) – A charity promoting the wellbeing of black and minority ethnic communities throughout Hull and the Humber. www.hanaonline.co.uk
- Changing Lives - Supports individuals and families in Doncaster to achieve their full potential and change their lives for the better. www.changing-lives.org.uk
- Safer Leeds – Works in partnership to keep communities safe. www.leeds.gov.uk
- Cloverleaf Advocacy Service - Provides high quality advocacy services to people with mental health needs, learning disabilities, older people, people with physical and sensory impairment, and carers. www.cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk
- Victim Support - The national charity for victims of crime in England and Wales. www.victimsupport.org.uk
- Bradford Equity Partnership - A charity set up and delivered by LGBT people in Bradford and the surrounding areas. www.equitypartnership.org.uk
- United Response is a charity supporting disabled people to achieve their goals, have independence and a happy life and campaigns for the rights of disabled people. United Response’s lived experience disability hate crime research team is currently working to reduce hate crime on public transport. www.unitedresponse.org.uk
- Restorative Solutions is a service for anyone who has been affected by crime, whether you have been harmed or you have caused the harm, our service is there to help you move forward. www.restorativesolutions.org.uk
- Leeds City Council Domestic Violence Team - A project aimed at improving services for women who are experiencing domestic violence. www.leeds.gov.uk
- Victim Support - The national charity for victims of crime in England and Wales. www.victimsupport.org.uk
- Women’s Aid North East Lincolnshire - a registered charity that provides many services to victims and survivors of domestic abuse. www.womensaidnel.org
- Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership East Riding - Provides information or advice and support in a confidential setting. www.eastriding.gov.uk
- Kirklees Council Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding Partnerships – Multi-agency partnerships promoting the safeguarding agenda. www.kirklees.gov.uk
- Pennine Domestic Violence Group - A key provider of domestic abuse support services in Kirklees. www.pdvg.org
- Wakefield Council - Provides information on local services. www.wakefield.gov.uk
- VIDA Sheffield - Delivers specialist domestic and sexual abuse services and training, and engages with partners to work towards an end to domestic abuse, and violence against women and girls. www.vidasheffield.org.uk
- Apna Haq - Support for women facing domestic violence from Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee backgrounds. www.apnahaq.org.uk
- Doncaster Council Community Safety Team - Works with the Safer Doncaster Partnership to improve communities across Doncaster, reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents. www.doncaster.gov.uk
- Calderdale Council - Works in partnership to build safer, stronger and connected communities. www.calderdale.gov.uk
- Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) – A specialist charity supporting anyone experiencing or affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence. www.idas.org.uk
- Preston Road Women's Centre - Provides information, support and advice to women in Hull. www.purplehouse.co.uk
- The Blue Door - A specialist service providing support to anyone that has experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence in North and North East Lincolnshire and those who have experienced rape and serious sexual offences in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire through a variety of advocacy, outreach workers, groups and programmes. www.thebluedoor.org
- Rotherham RISE - Provides help and support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation. www.rotherhamrise.org.uk
- Staying Put - Offers gender sensitive services to increase the safety of people who experience domestic violence/abuse. www.stayingput.org.uk
- Bradford Equity Partnership - A charity set up and delivered by LGBT people in Bradford and the surrounding areas. www.equitypartnership.org.uk
- Calderdale Domestic Abuse Hub – A partnership engaging with victims of domestic abuse. www.calderdale.gov.uk
- Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council - www.rotherham.gov.uk
- Shantona Women’s and Family Services – Aims to raise awareness on domestic violence and abuse with young people in the community. www.shantona.co.uk
- The Bridge Project is a charity that provides services to people experiencing effects of deprivation and health inequalities. www.thebridgeproject.org.uk
- Support After Rape & Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) - A feminist organisation supporting women and girls who have been affected by sexual violence at any time in their lives. www.supportafterrapeleeds.org.uk
- Victim Support - The national charity for victims of crime in England and Wales. www.victimsupport.org.uk
- Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre - A specialist women only service offering free and confidential counselling and support to empower women and girls who have experienced rape or sexual abuse at any times in their lives. www.srasac.org.uk
- Bradford Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Survivors Service - A registered charity and the national umbrella organisation for Rape Crisis Centres across the country. www.rapecrisis.org.uk
- Survive - Information and advice about rape. www.survive-northyorks.org.uk
- Barnsley Rape Crisis - a registered charity, which supports people whose lives have been affected by sexual violence. www.bsarcs.org.uk
- Hull Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Service - provides crisis and long term specialised counselling, support and independent advocacy for all women and girls of all ages who have experienced any form of sexual violence both recently and/or in the past. www.rapecrisis.org.uk
- Access Committee for Leeds – Provides information and support for the disabled community of Leeds. www.accesscommitteeforleeds.org
- Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) - A specialist charity supporting anyone experiencing or affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence. www.idas.org.uk
- The Hazlehurst Centre - Offers free support and practical help to anyone in West Yorkshire who has experienced sexual abuse. www.hazlehurstcentre.org
- The Blue Door - A specialist service providing support to anyone that has experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence in North and North East Lincolnshire and those who have experienced rape and serious sexual offences in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire through a variety of advocacy, outreach workers, groups and programmes. www.thebluedoor.org
- Child Sexual Abuse Assessment Centre - Provides a service for children and young people from 0-16 years of age who have disclosed sexual abuse or assault or where it is suspected that it may have happened. www.yorkhospitals.nhs.uk
- Basis Yorkshire – Empowers women and girls to be safe and make positive choices. www.basisyorkshire.org.uk
- Doncaster Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling Service - An independent charity helping victims of sexual violence. www.drasacs.org.uk
- Rotherham RISE - Provides help and support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation. www.rotherhamrise.org.uk
- Doncaster Council Community Safety Team - Works with the Safer Doncaster Partnership to improve communities across Doncaster, reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents. www.doncaster.gov.uk
- Target Housing work in a psychologically and trauma informed way to empower people to achieve independence. www.targethousing.org.uk
- Survivors’ Network provide Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) service to provide information and support. www.survivorsnetwork.org.uk
- The Bridge Project is a charity that provides services to people experiencing effects of deprivation and health inequalities. www.thebridgeproject.org.uk
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