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| Lawyers vie for prosecution role as Keir Starmer quits | Lawyers vie for prosecution role as Keir Starmer quits |
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| The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, is to stand down after five years in the £200,000-a-year high-pressure post, triggering calls for his replacement to be an experienced prosecutor. | The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, is to stand down after five years in the £200,000-a-year high-pressure post, triggering calls for his replacement to be an experienced prosecutor. |
| Starmer, previously a prominent human rights barrister, confirmed on Wednesday that he will not be seeking an extension when he finishes his initial period in office at the end of October. | Starmer, previously a prominent human rights barrister, confirmed on Wednesday that he will not be seeking an extension when he finishes his initial period in office at the end of October. |
| The post is due to be advertised this week. Past DPPs have been chosen from the ranks of barristers in private practice but there were suggestions yesterday that Starmer's successor should come from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) or at least have significant experience of prosecuting rather than defending. | The post is due to be advertised this week. Past DPPs have been chosen from the ranks of barristers in private practice but there were suggestions yesterday that Starmer's successor should come from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) or at least have significant experience of prosecuting rather than defending. |
| One name being mentioned is Alison Levitt QC, the principal legal adviser to the DPP, who has overseen CPS decision-making and potential prosecutions in relation to phone-hacking investigations. | One name being mentioned is Alison Levitt QC, the principal legal adviser to the DPP, who has overseen CPS decision-making and potential prosecutions in relation to phone-hacking investigations. |
| Others inside the organisation expected to apply for the post include Alison Saunders, chief CPS prosecutor in London, and Nazir Afzal, chief prosecutor in the north-west. | Others inside the organisation expected to apply for the post include Alison Saunders, chief CPS prosecutor in London, and Nazir Afzal, 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 convicted for abusing girls as young as 13. | 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 convicted for abusing girls as young as 13. |
| The last five DPPs have all served for a single five-year term. Starmer took up the post in November 2008. He has had to impose deep financial cuts on the CPS, amounting to 27.5% of the budget. One of his priorities has been improving the way rape and domestic violence cases are prosecuted. | The last five DPPs have all served for a single five-year term. Starmer took up the post in November 2008. He has had to impose deep financial cuts on the CPS, amounting to 27.5% of the budget. One of his priorities has been improving the way rape and domestic violence cases are prosecuted. |
| Starmer said: "It has been a huge privilege to have led the CPS for the past four and a 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." It is understood he has no immediate plans about where he will go next. | Starmer said: "It has been a huge privilege to have led the CPS for the past four and a 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." It is understood he has no immediate plans about where he will go next. |
| The attorney general, Dominic Grieve, 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. | The attorney general, Dominic Grieve, 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." |
| The shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, said Starmer would be greatly missed. "His values shone through with his emphasis on fighting violence against women and girls. He fulfilled a difficult role in a progressive and compassionate way … 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 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." | The shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, said Starmer would be greatly missed. "His values shone through with his emphasis on fighting violence against women and girls. He fulfilled a difficult role in a progressive and compassionate way … 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 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." |
| But the Tory 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." | But the Tory 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. | 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. | "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." | "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." |
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