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Keir Starmer

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Sir Keir Starmer
KCB QC
Starmer at Chatham House in 2013
Director of Public Prosecutions
In office
1 November 2008 – 1 November 2013
Appointed byBaroness Scotland
Preceded bySir Ken Macdonald
Succeeded byAlison Saunders
Personal details
Born (1962-09-02) 2 September 1962 (age 61)
Southwark
NationalityBritish
SpouseVictoria
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Leeds (LLB)
St Edmund Hall, Oxford (BCL)
OccupationBarrister

Sir Keir Starmer KCB QC (born 2 September 1962) is a barrister in England and Wales. He became the fourteenth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the sixth head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on 1 November 2008 for a five-year term.[1] Until then, although he had prosecuted cases for the CPS during his career, he was known as a defence lawyer with special expertise in the law of human rights.[2]

Early life

Starmer was the second of four children. He was named after former Labour Party leader and socialist Keir Hardie.[3] He was educated at Reigate Grammar School. He gained a 1st class degree of Bachelor of Laws from the University of Leeds in 1985 and as a member of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, a degree of Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Oxford in 1986.

Career

He became a barrister in 1987, became a Queen's Counsel in 2002, and was joint head of his chambers, Doughty Street Chambers.

Acting in several appeals to the Privy Council for defendants who had been sentenced to death in Caribbean countries, his legal submissions led to the abolition of the mandatory death penalty in those countries. He worked with lawyers in African countries towards the same end. In 2005 he persuaded the House of Lords that evidence obtained by torture should be inadmissible in court. In 2007 he represented two alleged terrorists in a case in the House of Lords in which he successfully challenged their control orders on human rights grounds. He has also acted in 15 other cases in the House of Lords since 1999, including two cases about the conduct of British soldiers in Iraq, and representing David Shayler in his appeal against conviction for breaching the Official Secrets Act 1989. He gave free legal advice to the defendants in the "McLibel" case,[4] and was interviewed twice — ten years apart — in Franny Armstrong's 2005 documentary, McLibel.

He was a human rights advisor to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers. He is a member of the Foreign Secretary's Death Penalty Advisory Panel. In 2007 he was named "QC of the Year".[5] He is generally seen as supportive of the Labour Party.[3]

DPP

On 25 July 2008, the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, QC, named Starmer as the next head of the CPS, to take over from Sir Ken Macdonald, QC on 1 November 2008.[1] Macdonald, himself a former defence lawyer, welcomed the appointment.

On 22 July 2010, Starmer announced the controversial decision not to prosecute the police officer Simon Harwood in relation to the Death of Ian Tomlinson resulting in accusations by Tomlinson's family of a police cover up.[6]

On 21 July 2011, Starmer became an Honorary Graduate of the University of Essex.[7]

On 3 February 2012, Starmer announced that the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne MP and his former wife, Vicky Pryce would be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice. Huhne became the first Cabinet minister in British history to be compelled to resign as a result of criminal proceedings.[8] Starmer had previously stated in relation to the case that "[w]here there is sufficient evidence we do not shy away from prosecuting politicians".[9]

In the summer of 2012, British newspapers reported charges that Starmer was personally responsible for the continued prosecution of Paul Chambers, a traveler who, frustrated at airport delays, had posted a joke about the airport on Twitter. In the case known as the "Twitter Joke Trial," Chambers had been convicted of sending a "public electronic message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character." The trial and conviction provoked widespread protest by free=speech activists, but the Crown Prosecution Service maintained a long-term opposition to Chambers' appeals. According to Chambers' defenders, prosecutors had been willing to stop opposing the appeals, but Stamer had overruled his subordinates because he was "trying to save face by refusing to admit he was in the wrong."[10]

On 23 July 2013, the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, QC, announced that when Starmer's term ends on 1 November 2013 he will be replaced by Alison Saunders.[11][12]

Post DPP

In December 2013 the Labour Party announced that Starmer would lead an enquiry into changing the law to give further protection to victims in cases of rape and child abuse. This raised speculation that he may be considering a political career with Labour.[13] On 28th December, Starmer refused to deny the possibility of entering politics, saying to BBC News "well, I’m back in private practice; I’m rather enjoying having some free time, and I’m considering a number of options."[14] On 30 December, it was announced that Starmer was to be appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2014 New Year Honours, entitling him to the title of 'Sir'.[15]

Publications

He is the author and editor of several books about criminal law and human rights.[16]

Personal life

He married Victoria, a solicitor, in 2007 and has a son and daughter.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b Nina Goswami: "Keir Starmer QC appointed DPP" (25 July 2008), The Lawyer
  2. ^ Frances Gibb: "Human rights lawyer Keir Starmer named as new prosecution service chief" (26 July 2008), Times online
  3. ^ a b Moss, Stephen (21 September 2009). "Keir Starmer: 'I wouldn't characterise myself as a bleeding heart liberal . . .'". The Guardian. London.
  4. ^ Interview transcript (14 August 1996), McLibel.com
  5. ^ Stephen Bates: "Profile: Keir Starmer QC" (1 August 2008), The Guardian
  6. ^ Dodd, Vikram; Lewis, Paul (22 July 2010). "Ian Tomlinson death: police officer will not face criminal charges". The Guardian. London.
  7. ^ "University of Essex :: Honorary Graduates :: Honorary Graduates :: Profile: Keir Starmer QC". Essex.ac.uk. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  8. ^ M. Settle, "Huhne forced to resign as points court battle looms", The Daily Herald, (4 February 2012)
  9. ^ Keir Starmer QC, "Letter to the Daily Mail from CPS about the Chris Huhne case", The blog of the Crown Prosecution Service, (23 November 2011)
  10. ^ http://www.theguardian.com/law/2012/jul/29/paul-chambers-twitter-joke-airport
  11. ^ Branagh, Ellen (23 July 2013). "Stephen Lawrence barrister Alison Saunders to take over from Keir Starmer as new Director of Public Prosecutions". The Independent. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Saunders to replace Starmer at DPP". Liverpool Daily Post. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  13. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25528966
  14. ^ https://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/90506/keir_starmer_victims_law_a_real_gear_change_to_justice_system.html
  15. ^ "The New Year Honours List 2014 – Higher Awards" (PDF). 30 January 2013.
  16. ^ Books by Keir Starmer, Borders Group
  17. ^ "Law | The Times". Business.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
Preceded by Director of Public Prosecutions
2008–2013 		Succeeded by

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