Sir Max Hill
KCB KC
Director of Public Prosecutions
In office
1 November 2018 – 31 October 2023
Appointed byGeoffrey Cox
Preceded byAlison Saunders
Succeeded byStephen Parkinson
Personal details
Born
Max Benjamin Rowland Hill

1964 (age 59–60)
Hertfordshire, England
EducationRoyal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne
Alma materSt Peter's College, Oxford

Sir Max Benjamin Rowland Hill KCB KC (born 1964) is a British barrister. He served as the Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, succeeding Alison Saunders for a five-year term from 1 November 2018.[1] Previously, he was the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation in the United Kingdom, replacing David Anderson in 2017.[2][3][4][5][6]

Early life

Hill was born in Hertfordshire in 1964. After attending state primary schools, he was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne due to his family moving to Northumberland. He won a scholarship to study law at St Peter's College, Oxford, from 1983 to 1986.[7]

Career

Called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 1987, Hill worked on parts of the Damilola Taylor murder trials and 7 July 2005 London bombings before being appointed a Queen's Counsel (QC) in 2008.

From 2012, he was Head of Chambers at Red Lion Chambers and chaired the Criminal Bar Association from 2011 to 2012. Hill also served as Leader of the South Eastern Circuit from 2014 to 2016.

In 2017, he appeared in Channel 4's The Trial as lead counsel for the prosecution, in which real juries, together with actual barristers and judges, tried a fictional murder case in order to explore the workings of the jury system.[8]

From 1 March 2017 to 12 October 2018, Hill was the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.

Director of Public Prosecutions

Hill was appointed as the Director of Public Prosecutions in November 2018. In this role, Hill supported the idea that too many children are facing adult justice, arguing that 10 is too young an age for criminal responsibility.[9]

He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to law and order.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Max Hill QC joins the CPS as Director of Public Prosecutions". Attorney General's Office (England and Wales). 1 November 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  2. ↑ Riley-Smith, Ben (25 February 2017). "Interview: Britain's new terror watchdog Max Hill - 'Getting justice for Damilola ranks as my proudest feat'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Mills, Jen (26 February 2017). "Terror threat in the UK 'at its highest since the 1970s', watchdog says". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  4. ↑ Riley-Smith, Ben (25 February 2017). "Terror chief Max Hill warns risk of attacks in Britain is highest since dark days of IRA". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Travis, Alan (20 February 2017). "Leading terror trial QC to be counter-terror laws watchdog". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "New Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation appointed - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "HILL, Max Benjamin Rowland". Who's Who. A & C Black. 2017.
  8. ↑ "Max Hill". Red Lion Chambers. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  9. ↑ Baksi, Catherine; Ames, Jonathan (16 February 2021). "Age of criminal responsibility: ten is too young to face justice, says top prosecutor Max Hill". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  10. ↑ "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N3.
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