Honour for CPS chief who oversaw rape trial fiasco
A FORMER chief prosecutor who presided over a series of botched rape trials is awarded a damehood today, prompting criticism of the honours system for “rewarding failure”.
Alison Saunders, who stepped down as director of public prosecutions last year, becomes a DCB in the New Year Honours list despite accusations that lives were “ruined” during her tenure.
Other honours recipients include Olivia Newton-john, the singer, who becomes a dame, and Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory MP, who is knighted.
Four of England’s World Cup-winning cricketers are rewarded, including Ben Stokes and team captain Eoin Morgan, while Sam Mendes, the James Bond film director, is made a knight.
One of the oldest recipients is Harry Billinge, 94, the D-day veteran who dedicated his honour to 22,442 service personnel killed during the landings and subsequent battle for Normandy. Meanwhile, Mindu Hornick, 90, the Holocaust survivor and campaigner, spoke of the importance of tackling an “unacceptable” rise in anti-semitism after being made an MBE.
Dame Alison faced heavy criticism as DPP for presiding over several rape cases that collapsed after the prosecution failed to disclose evidence.
Last year, the 58-year-old became the first former head of the Crown Prosecution Service not to receive a senior honour in what was widely interpreted as a snub from the honours committee. A year later, however, Dame Alison has been handed one of Britain’s highest civilian accolades.
Campaigners last night questioned whether the system was delaying awards for controversial figures until they faded from public consciousness.
Samuel Armstrong, a former Tory MP’S aide who was cleared of rape after claiming there had been late disclosure
of crucial material in his case, described the news of Dame Alison’s honour as a “kick in the teeth”.
“Alison Saunders’ dangerous crusades saw the lives of totally innocent people ruined,” he told The Telegraph.
“Now we know – rather than rewarding the best, the honours system simply hands out automatic gongs to top bureaucrats, no matter how badly they perform in office. It’s clear that the decision makers have waited for public passions to fade before rewarding failure in this way.”
Whitehall sources said that the list was compiled according to the priorities of Theresa May, the former prime minister, rather than Boris Johnson.
Dame Alison, a career lawyer and only the second woman to become DPP, is now a partner with the law firm Linklaters. She was unavailable for comment last night.
Public figures to miss out on awards include Dany Cotton, the former London
Fire Brigade Commissioner, who stepped down last month after an official report criticised the response to the Grenfell Tower disaster.
Unlike her last four predecessors, Ms Cotton has not yet been recognised with a major honour during or immediately after her time in office.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “This Honours list continues to demonstrate the breadth of service given by people from all backgrounds from all across the UK.”