Stephen Parkinson (lawyer)

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] In 1979, he took a LLB from University College London.^[7] From 1979 to 1980, he was a bar student at the Inns of Court School of Law.^[8]

In 1980, Parkinson was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn.^[1] To complete his training as a barrister, from 1981 to 1982 he was a pupil at 3 Temple Gardens.^[1][8] From 1982 to 1984, he was a sub-editor at Butterworth Legal Publishers.^[1] In 1984, as a legal assistant, he joined the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), eventually becoming a senior crown prosecutor.^[1] He was head of the CPS's International Co-operation Unit from 1991 to 1992.^[8]

From 1992 to 1996, Parkinson was assistant solicitor at the Department of Trade and Industry. From 1996 to 1999, he was head of the Company/Chancery Litigation Group at the Treasury Solicitor's Department.^[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 joined London law firm Kingsley Napley. He was admitted as a solicitor in 2005,^[10] becoming partner in the same year. From 2006 to 2018, he was head of the criminal litigation practice. In May 2018, he became the firm's senior partner.^[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 to be the DPP since the 1960s, and the first to head the CPS.^{[13][needs update]}