The Law Society of England and Wales has welcomed the appointment of solicitor Stephen Parkinson as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and head of the Crown Prosecution Service.

“We are delighted with the appointment of Stephen Parkinson as the first solicitor since the 1960s to hold the post of Director of Public Prosecutions and look forward to working with him,” said President Lubna Shuja.

“His experience as a solicitor over many years, and previously as a barrister, means he will have a good understanding of the many issues affecting our criminal justice system,” she added.

“We look forward to working closely with him to resolve these,” Shuja concluded.

Five-year term

Parkinson was appointed by Britain’s Attorney General Victoria Prentis after an open competition. He is the first solicitor since the 1960s to take up the role.

He is expected to take up the appointment from 1 November for an initial term of five years, succeeding the outgoing DPP Max Hill KC.

Parkinson has been senior partner at law firm Kingsley Napley LLP since 2018.