Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer, KCB, QC (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and barrister. Since the 2015 General Election, he has been the Labour Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras. He was the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2008 to 2013. He has prosecuted in numerous cases for the CPS during his career, acting principally as a defence lawyer specialising in the law of human rights.
Early life
Starmer was the second of four children. He was named after former Labour Party leader and socialist Keir Hardie. He passed the 11-plus examination and gained entry to Reigate Grammar School, then a voluntary aided school. He studied law at the University of Leeds and graduated with a first class Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1985. He then undertook postgraduate studies at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and graduated from the University of Oxford Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree in 1986.
Legal career
Starmer became a barrister in 1987, appointed Queen's Counsel in 2002, and was joint head of his chambers, Doughty Street Chambers.