The Attorney General, the Rt. Hon. QC MP
has appointed Andrew T. Cayley CMG QC as Her Majesty’s
Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service
Inspectorate (HMCPSI).
As part of the recruitment process, Mr. Cayley was subject
to a pre-appointment hearing with the Justice Select
Committee on Thursday 14 January. The committee recommended
Mr. Cayley’s appointment. He is expected to take up post on
1 April 2021.
Andrew T. Cayley was the Director of Service Prosecutions
from 2013 to 2020. He led the Service Prosecuting Authority
through major reforms and the Service Justice Review. From
2009 to 2013 he was the United Nations Chief International
Co-Prosecutor of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts
of Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Here he was
responsible for prosecuting the leadership of the Khmer
Rouge for the genocide, extermination and murder of up to
two million of their citizens between 1975 and 1979.
From 1995 to 2007, he was Prosecuting Council and Senior
Prosecuting Counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International
Criminal Court (ICC). At the ICTY he was co-counsel in a
case that secured the court’s first conviction for genocide
regarding events at Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina in
July 1995; he also led for the prosecution in several other
high-profile cases involving various aspects of the
Yugoslav conflict. Also at the ICC, Mr Cayley led the
investigation and pre-trial proceedings regarding
allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and war
crimes committed since 1 July 2002 in Darfur, Republic of
Sudan.
Mr Cayley first qualified as a Solicitor of the Senior
Courts in 1989, transferring to the English and Welsh Bar
in 2007. He is a Governing Bencher of the Honourable
Society of the Inner Temple. He was appointed Companion of
the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George for services to
human rights and international criminal law in 2014, and
appointed Queens Counsel in 2012.
Commenting on the announcement, Attorney General the Rt.
Hon. QC MP
said:
I’m pleased to announce Mr Cayley as Chief Inspector. His
role is crucial to driving improvements across the
justice system especially for victims. I’m confident that
Andrew’s extensive prosecutorial and leadership
experience will stand him in good stead to successfully
lead the Inspectorate. I look forward to working with him
during his tenure.
Commenting on the announcement, Andrew T. Cayley CMG QC
said:
I am honoured that the Attorney General has appointed me
as Chief Inspector, a role that is so vital to improving
the criminal justice system and reinforcing public trust
in it. I look forward to leading the team in delivering a
comprehensive and high-quality inspection programme.
Mr Cayley has been appointed following a fair and open
assessment process conducted in accordance with the
Governance Code on Public Appointments. He donated £10,000
to the Conservative Party in 2019.
Role of HM Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution
Service, the head of HM Crown Prosecution Service
Inspectorate (HMCPSI) is appointed by the Attorney General.
This is a fixed-term public appointment. The Chief
Inspector acts independently of the Attorney General and of
government.
HMCPSI has a statutory duty to inspect the operation of the
CPS and SFO and report to the Attorney General, who
superintends both organisations. Its reports plan and
important role in effective superintendence. The
operational relationship between the Attorney General and
the Chief Inspector is set out in a protocol agreed between
the Law Officers (the Attorney General and Solicitor
General) and the Chief Inspector.
