News and Events

Director of Public Prosecutions at BU

31 March 2009

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer QC has delivered the inaugural High Sheriff’s lecture at BU.

On Monday 23 March BU welcomed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer QC, who delivered the inaugural High Sheriff’s Lecture entitled ‘The transformation of the CPS into a modern prosecuting service’.

Mr Starmer, who took up his appointment as DPP in November 2008, spoke to a captivated audience about his plans for the Crown Prosecution Service over the next five years. Audience members included academics, students, lawyers and members of the judiciary .

During the lecture, he said that handing back the job of charging suspects to the police would be a “grave mistake” and that the investigation and prosecution processes should remain as separate functions to ensure fairness.

Notable guests included Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Dorset, Valerie Pitt-Rivers, the Chief Crown Prosecutor for Dorset, Kate Brown, the Chief Constable of Dorset, Martin Baker and the Chief Officer of Dorset Probation, John Wiseman.

The annual High Sheriff’s Lecture was the idea of the current High Sheriff of Dorset, Mr John Raymond. This inaugural lecture was organised by the High Sheriff and BU’s Department of Law, based within the Business School, and formed part of the celebrations to mark the opening of the School’s new Executive Business Centre.

Mr Raymond said: “The High Sheriff’s Lecture will foster the relationship between the County of Dorset and Bournemouth University. It was extremely kind of Mr Starmer to spare the time and a great coup for BU.”

Reflecting on the significance of the evening, Professor Nick Grief, Head of BU’s Department of Law, said: “It was an excellent lecture on a subject of national and even international significance delivered by one of this country’s most distinguished lawyers to a very large and appreciative audience.”