Ken Macdonald

Sir Kenneth Donald John Macdonald, QC (born 4 January 1953) [cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk|title=Birthdays|archiveurl=http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&res_dat=xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:newsuk&rft_id=xri:newsuk:newsart:1407667131|archivedate=2008-01-05|format=Archive service requires subscription|date=4 January 2008|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Media Group|accessdate=2008-01-08] ["Who's Who", passim] is Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of England and Wales. [cite web|url=http://www.cps.gov.uk/about/dpp.html|title=Director of Public Prosecutions: Sir Ken Macdonald QC|work=CPS website|publisher=CPS (Crown Copyright)|accessdate=2007-10-12] In that office he is "ex officio" head of the Crown Prosecution Service. He was previously a recorder (part-time judge) and defence barrister.

Biography

He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Edmund Hall, Oxford from 1974. [cite web|url=http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/index.php?section=44|title=The College > Famous Graduates > Sir Ken Macdonald QC|work=St Edmund Hall website|publisher=St Edmund Hall|year=2007|accessdate=2007-10-12] During his time at Oxford he was convicted of supplying cannabis after sending 0.1 g of the drug through the post.cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/story/0,3605,1144513,00.html|title=Prosecutor or protector?|author=Clare Dyer|date=2004-02-10|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Media Group|accessdate=2007-10-12] He pleaded guilty, and was fined £75. He became the first pupil of barrister Helena Kennedy, was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple in July 1978 [cite web|url=http://www.legalhub.co.uk/legalhub/app/document?rs=BOL1.0&vr=1.0&src=rl&srguid=ia744c062000001175e2a3b4acb95c05a&docguid=I67a3bca08bce11dcaa9aaaaa0e13eb96&hitguid=I67a3bca08bce11dcaa9aaaaa0e13eb96&spos=6&epos=6&td=41&bctocguid=Id6edd5a002c711db85b9d734e660a063&bchistory=5;&ststate=S;S;S&ctype=The%20Bar%20Directory&page=0&sibs=&toc-search=|title=The Bar Directory: Kenneth John Douglas Macdonald|work=The Legal Hub|publisher=Thomson Global Resources, data supplied by the Bar Council|year=2007|accessdate=2008-01-09] and became a Queen's Counsel in 1997. [LondonGazette|issue=54736|startpage=4476|date=15 April 1997|accessdate=2007-10-04] As a junior barrister he defended a number of terrorist suspects (both Provisional IRA and those from the Middle East), fraudsters and major drug dealers, he was also on the defence team for the Matrix Churchill trial. In the late 1990s, he was a co-founder of Matrix Chambers (a law firm specialising in Human Rights cases) with Cherie Booth and Tim Owen QC. In 2001 he became a recorder (a part time judge) in the Crown Court. [LondonGazette|issue=56414|startpage=14589|date=11 December 2001|notarchive=yes|accessdate=2008-01-09]

In August 2003 it was announced that Macdonald would succeed Sir David Calvert-Smith as DPP in October of that year.cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/06/ncher06.xml|title=Cherie's colleague is named as DPP
first=Andrew|last=Sparrow|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=11 August 2003|accessdate=2008-01-09] cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1438509/Cherie's-'crony'-not-fit-to-be-DPP,-says-Howard.html|title=Cherie's 'crony' not fit to be DPP, says Howard
first=Benedict|last=Brogan|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=5 August 2003|accessdate=2008-07-30] The appointment was immediately denounced by Opposition spokesmen as "rampant cronyism" and a "provocative appointment" due to Macdonald's business relationship with Cherie Booth (wife of then Prime Minister Tony Blair) and his lack of prosecution experience. Government officials, including both the Attorney General and Solicitor General defended the appointment as it had been made by an independent board consisting of First Civil Service Commissioner Baroness Prashar; Sir Hayden Phillips, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Constitutional Affairs; Sir David Omand, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office; and Sir Robin Auld, Lord Justice of Appeal. [cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/cgi-bin/newhtml_hl?DB=semukparl&STEMMER=en&WORDS=macdonald%20director%20of%20public%20prosecut&ALL=macdonald%20director%20of%20public%20prosecutions&ANY=&PHRASE=&CATEGORIES=&SIMPLE=&SPEAKER=&COLOUR=red&STYLE=s&ANCHOR=30917w13.html_wqn5&URL=/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030917/text/30917w13.htm#30917w13.html_wqn5|title=Hansard, Written answers, Director of Public Prosecutions|work=Hansard|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|date=17 September 2003|accessdate=2008-01-09] A few days after the announcement the press uncovered details of his earlier conviction, sparking fresh controversy.cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=ZBJO3LW4RLE41QFIQMFCFF4AVCBQYIV0?xml=/opinion/2003/08/14/dp1401.xml|title=New DPP had drugs conviction at Oxford
last=Spy|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=14 August 2003|accessdate=2008-01-09] Macdonald also clashed with then Home Secretary, David Blunkett over plans for longer prison sentences, provoking further press coverage. [cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk|title=Blunkett plan for longer prison terms is 'grotesque', says DPP
archiveurl=http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&res_dat=xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:newsuk&rft_id=xri:newsuk:newsart:392291171|format=Archive service requires subscription|date=2 September 2003|archivedate=2003-09-03|work=The Daily Mail|accessdate=2008-01-08] [cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk|title=A bleeding heart, the criminal's best friend
archiveurl=http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&res_dat=xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:newsuk&rft_id=xri:newsuk:newsart:404272351|format=Archive service requires subscription|date=12 September 2003|archivedate=2003-09-13|work=The Daily Mail|accessdate=2008-01-08] Not all coverage was so negative, with a fellow lawyer, David Pannick QC, writing in "The Times" defending Macdonald's appointment, and attacking the tabloid campaign against him; [cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article1154073.ece|title=Why tabloids' silly campaign against the DPP is so wrong|first=David|last=Pannick|work=The Times|publisher=Times Online|date=September 2 2003|accessdate=2008-01-09] Macdonald's predecessor also dismissed the relevance of the drugs offence; [cite news|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article76459.ece|title=Sir David Calvert-Smith: The butler, his evidence and a delicate issue of calling the Queen as a criminal case witness|first=Robert|last=Verkaik|work=The Independent|date=3 November 2003|accessdate=2008-01-09] and a report in "The Independent" also found support for the appointment from within the legal system. [cite news|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article85149.ece|title=Public persecution|first=Robert|last=Verkaik|work=The Independent|date=September 2 2003|accessdate=2008-01-09] A later leader in "The Guardian" was also broadly supportive of his record in office. [cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1997981,00.html|title=In praise of ... Sir Ken Macdonald|last=Leader|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Media Group|date=January 25 2007|accessdate=2008-01-09]

He was awarded a knighthood in the 2007 New Year Honours. [LondonGazette|issue=58196|startpage=1|supp=yes|date=30 December 2006|notarchive=yes|accessdate=2008-01-09] He is due to retire as DPP in October 2008. [cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article4397189.ece|title=Human rights lawyer Keir Starmer named as new prosecution service chief|work=The Times|date=26 July 2008|first=Frances|last=Gibb|accessdate=2008-08-04]

References