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Keir Starmer to stand down as director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer to stand down as director of public prosecutions
(about 2 hours later)
The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, is to stand down after five years in the high-pressure legal post.The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, is to stand down after five years in the high-pressure legal post.
He has indicated that he will not be seeking an extension when he finishes his initial period in office at the end of October.He has indicated that he will not be seeking an extension when he finishes his initial period in office at the end of October.
Starmer, who was previously a prominent human rights barrister, became head of the Crown Prosecution Service in November 2008 with responsibility for all prosecution decisions across England and Wales.Starmer, who was previously a prominent human rights barrister, became head of the Crown Prosecution Service in November 2008 with responsibility for all prosecution decisions across England and Wales.
He said: "It has been a huge privilege to have led the CPS for the past four and half years. I have enjoyed my time very much and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the important work of the CPS until my term of office ends."He said: "It has been a huge privilege to have led the CPS for the past four and half years. I have enjoyed my time very much and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the important work of the CPS until my term of office ends."
The attorney general, Dominic Grieve, praised the DPP for bringing "humanity" to the role. He said: "It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Keir. Not just a formidable lawyer, he has brought sound instinct and humanity to his role, noticeably in the guidelines he has published. It is understood he has no firm plans about what he might do next. The last five DPPs have now all served for a single five-year term. The responsibility of the office is extremely wide. Starmer has had to impose deep financial cuts, amounting to 27.5% of the budget, to the organisation in recent years.
During his time in office, Starmer has made improvements in the way rape and domestic violence cases are prosecuted a priority.
Past appointments to the post of DPP have been made from prominent barristers in private practice. Among those inside the organisation who might be expected to apply for the post are Alison Saunders, the chief CPS prosecutor in London, and Nazir Afzal, the chief prosecutor in the north-west.
Saunders formerly headed the CPS's organised crime division. Afzal, who is the CPS's lead on child sex abuse, reopened and then oversaw the case against nine Asian men from Rochdale who were eventually convicted for abusing girls as young as 13.
Another name being mentioned is Alison Levitt QC, the principal legal advisor to the DPP who has overseen CPS decision-making and potential prosecutions in relation to the phone-hacking investigations. Starmer's annual pay is currently between £195,000 and £200,000, according to CPS reports.
The attorney general, Dominic Grieve, praised Starmer for bringing "humanity" to the role. He said: "It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Keir. Not just a formidable lawyer, he has brought sound instinct and humanity to his role, noticeably in the guidelines he has published.
"He has led the CPS through a difficult time and leaves it as a more professional and more effective service than he found it. The CPS is now, more than ever, a key partner in the criminal justice system. In my view he has been one of the most successful directors of recent years.""He has led the CPS through a difficult time and leaves it as a more professional and more effective service than he found it. The CPS is now, more than ever, a key partner in the criminal justice system. In my view he has been one of the most successful directors of recent years."
In an internal email to CPS staff which went out on Wednesday morning Starmer said it was a "privilege" to have done the job for five years. The shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, added: "Keir Starmer will be greatly missed as director of public prosecutions. His values shone through with his emphasis on fighting violence against women and girls.
It is understood that Starmer would like to see a prosecutor take over the role, which has been occupied for 10 years by lawyers with defence backgrounds. "He fulfilled a difficult role in a progressive and compassionate way and it should be recognised that he has done his utmost to transform the CPS's record on rape and domestic violence, delivering improved conviction rates for both. There is, however, still further to go in making sure that the criminal justice system gives vulnerable victims the support they need. With budget cuts of over 25% being inflicted on the CPS, this task will only get harder. That is why it is essential that a successor is appointed who is committed to building on Keir's approach and values."
It is said that Starmer would like to see a prosecutor take over the role, which has been occupied for 10 years by lawyers with defence backgrounds.
There were calls for the next DPP to be an experienced prosecutor. The Conservative MP Dominic Raab, a former government lawyer and member of parliament's joint committee on human rights, said: "We need a grizzled, criminal prosecutor rather than a defence, human rights lawyer. Leadership of the CPS is important. There's a prosecutorial deficit in this country. I would like to see an emphasis, as they do in Canada and the USA, on the prosecutor's role. We want someone who has the best track record in dealing with complicated cases."
Stephen Parkinson, head of criminal law at the law firm Kingsley Napley, said: "All directors since 1987, the year after the CPS was set up, have been drawn from barristers in private practice. None had any experience of working within the public sector, none have had any serious experience of management. The last two directors have had no significant prosecution background at all before their appointment. Yet the core of CPS work is decision-making on which cases to prosecute, and subsequent pre-trial preparation.
"Judges, one of whom usually sits on the appointments board, tend to feel reassured if a member of the bar is appointed – yet this practice should stop. Instead the emphasis should be on extensive, practical experience as a prosecutor, a significant management background, and a deep understanding of the public sector ethos.
"There are now a number of people holding senior positions within the CPS who are well placed to take the top job, both in terms of their ability and their profile. It is nonsense and insulting to suppose that they are any less independent than members of the bar. Each of them has carried significant executive responsibility already as a chief crown prosecutor. They know the job and have the confidence of their colleagues."