CPS goes back to the future
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CPS goes back to the future
New DPP is former prosecutor who spent 20 years as defence lawyer
Why would anybody want to become the director of public prosecutions for England and Wales?
Sir Allan Green (1987–1992), the first DPP to head the newly-established Crown Prosecution Service, contrived to procure his own resignation.
The late Dame Barbara Mills (1992–1998) — not to be confused with the highly regarded KC of the same name — struggled to cope in the days before the CPS was allowed a chief executive.
Sir David Calvert-Smith (1998–2003) was told he was under a duty to step in and steady the ship.
He did; and things changed. He became a High Court judge and others saw the job as a stepping stone to greater things.
Lord Macdonald of River Glaven (2003–2008) was awarded a peerage and became head of Oxford’s finest college (but then I'm biased).
Sir Keir Starmer (2008–2013) is on his way to Downing Street.
Dame Alison Saunders (2013–2018) became a partner at Linklaters.
Max Hill (2018-2023) is expected to become a High Court judge after his retirement next month.
And this morning the attorney general Victoria Prentis announced she had appointed Stephen Parkinson as the next DPP.
Parkinson, 66, began his legal career as a junior prosecutor at the CPS, progressing to become head of its international co-operation unit. I first got to know him during the time he spent in the attorney general’s office. As private secretary in the days before every government department had a press officer, he had the challenging job of speaking to reporters. Later, he became deputy head of the department.
The government legal service was sorry to lose him 20 years ago when he defected to the private sector, joining the law firm Kingsley Napley from which he retired recently as senior partner. But the wheel has now turned full circle: unlike the private sector, not all government departments believe you’re burned out in your mid-sixties.
As a former government lawyer turned politician, Prentis can see the advantage of appointing a safe pair of hands who understands the system. Unlike Saunders, though, Parkinson has shown that he can thrive and prosper as a defence lawyer too.
Stephen Parkinson brings a unique combination of legal expertise and public service at the highest levels, demonstrated most recently as Senior Partner at law firm Kingsley Napley LLP, and having spent numerous years in three of the law officers’ departments: the Attorney General’s Office, Treasury Solicitor’s Department and as a prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service itself.
Stephen has had a stellar legal career both in and outside of government as well as experience of both prosecuting and defending. Combining this with his extensive track record of leadership, I have every confidence he will be a collaborative director and a principled and independent chief prosecutor. The public will rightly expect nothing less.
He will build on the achievements of Max Hill to whom I am grateful. The role of DPP requires exceptional qualities of judgement and character. I am looking forward to working with the new director.
Parkinson said:
I am delighted and honoured to be appointed as the next director of public prosecutions. Both as a prosecutor and defender I have always strongly believed in the importance of the CPS in bringing to justice and prosecuting fairly those accused of crime.
I would like to pay tribute to the work that Max Hill has done leading the CPS successfully through the challenges of the pandemic and setting a clear direction for the future. I look forward to building on his legacy.
It’s a challenging job but, like Prentis, I can’t think of anyone better qualified to take it on. What will he do next, though?
CPS goes back to the future
Simon B is right. I have my own significant memory of Sir Allen Green’s fall from grace and the reason therefor.
I recall I had met him on his visit to the CPS in Brum during his term of office. At that time I was an officer of the Birmingham Law Society and its Criminal Law Committee Chair and Brum’s then Chief Crown Prosecutor David Blundell had invited me to CPS H.Q. to meet him. I recall having - impishly- told him,”Director, it’s a pleasure to meet you. David here tells me I am to say that everything here is going swimmingly.” Everyone laughed, including the Director. (David and I had done much collaborative work together by that time and had become friends. He DID speak to me afterwards,and we remained friends). By all accounts Sir Allen had been doing well and by 1992 word was out that he had been about to announce the prosecution of a number of West Midlands Serious Crime Squad officers.
That year I was down to become the second Chair of the Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association, with its AGM to be held in York. Prominent speakers had been arranged, to include (you’ve guessed it) Sir Allen.
Two days (?) before that AGM after having attended a function had been the time of the contrivance Joshua has so picaresquely identified- and so on my arrival at the venue on the eve of my memorable day had on being interviewed by a gentleman of the press been constrained to reply “No comment” concerning the REASON for Sir A’s absence.
I make it plain that his imminent announcement concerning the Squad and his sudden and as I imagine reluctant resignation may have been altogether coincidental.
His successor Dame Barbara’s term was, perhaps, viewed rather more tepidly.
Jack Straw as Home Secretary was receptive to overtures from those in the police service and elsewhere wishing him to have him dismantle the CPS and return to the VERY murky instructing by the police of often non- independent solicitors in private practice. Much consternation about that led to wiser counsel prevailing and to the appointment of Mr. Justice Glidewell, whose eponymous report -bluntly- rescued the CPS which from 1998 had a new and excellent appointee as DPP in Sir David (Mr. Justice) Calvert -Smith as he later became as indeed later still he became the senior judge of the Parole Board.
Lord Macdonald as I believe -sort of- followed through satisfactorily and then we have as he later became Sir Keir where overall he acquitted himself well and showed his independent and assertive side in no doubt always civilly navigated confrontations with then Home Secretary Theresa May.
I skip over Dame Alison and Sir Max where I have nothing anecdotal to offer.
The new appointment appears a sound one indeed.
Contrived to procure his own resignation...
One for my collection of euphemisms!!