Solicitor Angela Deal (pictured) is to head the new specialist Appeals Unit launched today by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Appeals Unit, which is part of the Special Crime Division at CPS headquarters, was initially set up in June 2010, but has been taking on work in stages and is formally launched today.

It will take on new cases in all appeal courts, including all work involving the Criminal Cases Review Commission and unduly lenient sentences.

It will now handles all appeals against final decisions in the Administrative Court, the Court of Appeal and all cases in the Supreme Court.

By the end of March the unit will be fully staffed by 14 lawyers and 24 paralegal staff.

A CPS spokesman said the unit is effectively cost neutral, as all staff have been redeployed from other parts of the CPS.

Explaining the reason for the change, he said that formerly appeals were handled by the individual CPS areas in which they arose, which resulted in the 42 areas dealing with cases differently.

‘Centralising appeal work will provide all parties with a single point of contact that handles cases consistently,’ he said.

Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC said: ‘The CPS is already committed to providing a first-rate service at every stage of a prosecution. This new unit extends that commitment to the appeal process.’

‘Our dedicated team will hone their expertise and be the point of contact for lawyers and courts across England & Wales, enabling us to provide a high-performing and streamlined service to all concerned parties,’ he said.

Master Venne, Registrar of Criminal Appeals, said: ‘I unreservedly welcome the establishment of the CPS Appeals Unit. This development will improve the service which the Court of Appeal provides to appellants and the criminal justice service as a whole.’