New Year's Honours List 2020

Congratulation to our colleagues - past and present - who have been recognised for their contribution to the justice system in the New Year’s Honours List published on 27 December 2019.

Alison Saunders, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath (DCB). Alison dedicated over 30 years to public service and is noted for her commitment to law and order. She was appointed as DPP in 2013, the first lawyer from within the CPS to hold the position, and led the CPS during one of its most challenging periods. She is to be commended for her work during and after the London Riots and on the retrial and conviction of the killers of Stephen Lawrence, among many other achievements.

René Barclay is made an OBE for his services to law and order. Until his recent retirement, Rene was the principal Crown Advocate in the Special Crime Division of the CPS. He dealt with some of the most high profile death in custody and corporate manslaughter cases. He dealt professionally and compassionately with bereaved families, and sought ways to improve communications with them. He contributed to the CPS’s legal guidance for prosecutors on death in custody cases, in particular to prison suicides and right to life issues under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Three other colleagues are made MBEs:

Parveen Hassan in CPS West Midlands for services to community engagement, inclusion and equality. Parveen has successfully established and developed very strong community relationships. She led the first West Midlands Local Criminal Justice Board Conference on Forced Marriage and went on to chair the Asian Women Domestic Violence Forum. She has led substantial community engagement projects to raise awareness about domestic abuse, forced marriage and so-called honour-based abuse and been part of a Community Scrutiny Panel, which produced a protocol on domestic violence.
     
Martin Mckay-Smith, Training Principal, for services to law and order and legal training. Martin has worked for over 30 years in the service of the CPS undertaking many prosecuting roles but his work supporting CPS legal trainees has been exemplary. He has helped transform the delivery of the CPS Legal Trainee Scheme to make it one of the most sought after training contracts within the UK legal trainee system. Martin has a pastoral role as Training Principal to ensure trainees meet their aspirations.

Kim O’Neill, a paralegal officer in the CPS’s Special Crime Unit for services to law and order. Kim has been the paralegal on some of the most complex, serious and sensitive cases in the CPS. For a period of time this included preparing all the cases that went to the Supreme Court. She provides exceptional support to prosecutors and the counsel who rely on her to prepare casework and provide assistance at court.