*/
Keir Starmer QC, the new Director of Public Prosecutions, has pledged to engage with communities, deliver “more robust and dependable” charging decisions, and create a more transparent CPS.
Starmer, in his inaugural speech at London Metropolitan University in January, said he wanted the CPS in the 21st century to be like its latest new office in Barrow-in-Furness—“very contemporary, full of light, and everyone working in it can be seen by those outside”.
He stressed the importance of the prosecutor’s discretion when deciding whether to bring charges, citing his decision that, even though there was a realistic prospect of conviction, it was not in the public interest to prosecute in the case of Daniel James, the 23 year-old rugby player paralysed from the waist down whose parents assisted his suicide at a clinic in Switzerland.
The CPS is improving its in-house advocacy and is now finding it easy to recruit high quality candidates, he said.
See Counsel’s interview with Keir Starmer on page 10.
Starmer, in his inaugural speech at London Metropolitan University in January, said he wanted the CPS in the 21st century to be like its latest new office in Barrow-in-Furness—“very contemporary, full of light, and everyone working in it can be seen by those outside”.
He stressed the importance of the prosecutor’s discretion when deciding whether to bring charges, citing his decision that, even though there was a realistic prospect of conviction, it was not in the public interest to prosecute in the case of Daniel James, the 23 year-old rugby player paralysed from the waist down whose parents assisted his suicide at a clinic in Switzerland.
The CPS is improving its in-house advocacy and is now finding it easy to recruit high quality candidates, he said.
See Counsel’s interview with Keir Starmer on page 10.
Keir Starmer QC, the new Director of Public Prosecutions, has pledged to engage with communities, deliver “more robust and dependable” charging decisions, and create a more transparent CPS.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Susie Griffin on the admin that keeps barristers from billable work
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC