New First Senior Treasury Counsel announced
The Attorney General has appointed Mark Heywood QC as First Senior Treasury Counsel (Criminal) to the Crown at the Central Criminal Court.
Mr Heywood QC has considerable experience in cases such as terrorism, large scale corruption, serious & organised crime and offences of homicide. He was appointed Junior Treasury Counsel in 2001, First Junior Treasury Counsel in 2007 and Senior Treasury Counsel in 2008. He was made Queen’s Counsel in 2010.
He takes over from Richard Whittam QC, who was appointed in 2013. During his time as Treasury Counsel, Mr Whittam has prosecuted some of the most serious cases for the Crown Prosecution Service.
The Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC MP said:
The role of Treasury Counsel is vital to providing the Crown with a team of experienced and highly talented counsel available to prosecute the most serious and complex cases.
My thanks go to Richard Whittam for the excellent work he has produced during his tenure. In appointing Mark Heywood to lead as First Senior Treasury Counsel I am sure he will build on the outstanding work done by his predecessors and I very much look forward to working with him.
The Attorney General has also appointed Duncan Atkinson, Oliver Glasgow and Louis Mably as Senior Treasury Counsel to the Crown at the Central Criminal Court and Julian Evans is appointed First Junior Treasury Counsel.
All new appointees officially started in their new roles on 1 November.
Notes to Editors
Treasury Counsel prosecute the most serious criminal cases in the country and First Senior Treasury Counsel heads the team of 10 Senior and 7 Junior Treasury Counsel.
Treasury Counsel are appointed by the Attorney General. They are divided into 2 groups: Senior Treasury Counsel and Junior Treasury Counsel. The First Senior Treasury Council is the head of the team and appointments are for 3 years.
The title Treasury Counsel derives from the days when all Crown counsel at the Central Criminal Court were instructed by the Treasury Solicitor. That procedure was changed in 1908, and since then the Director of Public Prosecutions has instructed the permanent counsel there.