Stephen Parkinson
Director of Public Prosecutions
Assumed office
1 November 2023
Appointed byVictoria Prentis
Preceded bySir Max Hill
Personal details
Born
Stephen Lindsay Parkinson

(1957-06-15) 15 June 1957
Alma materUniversity College London
Inns of Court School of Law

Stephen Lindsay Parkinson (born 15 June 1957) is an English solicitor and former barrister,[1] who has been the Director of Public Prosecutions (England and Wales) (DPP) and head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) since November 2023.[2][3][4][5][6]

Early life and education

Parkinson was born on 15 June 1957 to Edward Parkinson, an Anglican priest, and Mary Parkinson, a physician.[1] He was educated at John Hampden Grammar School, an all-boys state grammar school in Buckinghamshire, and then at The Chippenham School, a mixed-sex comprehensive school in Wiltshire.[1] Between 1976 and 1979, he studied law at University College London, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.[7] He then studied at the Inns of Court School of Law from 1979 to 1980.[8]

In 1980, Parkinson was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn, thereby qualifying to practice as a barrister.[1] He then undertook his pupillage at 3 Temple Gardens between 1980 and 1982.[1][8] He then worked as a sub-editor at Butterworth Legal Publishers from 1982 to 1984.[1] He joined the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for the first time in 1984 as a legal assistant and worked his way up to senior crown prosecutor.[1] He was head of the CPS's International Co-operation Unit from 1991 to 1992.[8]

Parkinson then moved into the wider civil service, and was assistant solicitor at the Department of Trade and Industry from 1992 to 1996, and head of the Company/Chancery Litigation Group at the Treasury Solicitor's Department from 1996 to 1999.[1][7][8] From 1999 to 2003, he served as deputy legal secretary to the Law Officers (i.e. deputy head) at the Attorney General's Office.[1][7][9]

In 2003, Parkinson moved into private practice and joined London law firm Kingsley Napley. He was admitted as a solicitor in 2005,[10] and became a partner of the firm in the same year. He was head of the criminal litigation practice from 2006 to 2018, and subsequently became the firm's senior partner in May 2018.[11] He retired in 2023 after 20 years with the firm.[9]

In September 2023, it was announced that he would be the next Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service.[8] He took up the post on 1 November 2023, succeeding Sir Max Hill.[12] He is the first solicitor since the 1960s to head the CPS.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Parkinson, Stephen Lindsay, (born 15 June 1957), freelance solicitor, since 2023; Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of Crown Prosecution Service, England and Wales, since 2023". Who's Who 2024. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Financial Times - Stephen Parkinson appointed". Financial Times. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Stephen Parkinson named". Independent. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "Former Kingsley Napley Chief appointed". Law Society Gazette. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Kingsley Napley Veteran Named". The Lawyer. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "New Director of Public Prosecutions announced". Government of United Kingdom. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "UCL - UCL Laws alumnus". University College London. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "New Director of Public Prosecutions announced". GOV.UK. Attorney General's Office. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  9. 1 2 "New Senior Partner and Retirement of Stephen Parkinson". Kingsley Napley. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Law Society". Law Society. 1 April 2005. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Baker, Tom (22 January 2018). "Parkinson stays away from SFO director race to take senior partner role at Kingsley Napley". Legal Business. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "About CPS: Director of Public Prosecutions". www.cps.gov.uk. The Crown Prosecution Service. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Rigby, Ben (14 September 2023). "CPS appoints first solicitor to Director of Public Prosecutions role since 1960s". The Global Legal Post. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
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