Ken Macdonald

Knighted for services to the law in 2007 and listed as the 4th most influential lawyer in the United Kingdom by the inaugural Times in 2008, Lord Ken Macdonald QC has 32 years experience of practicing law and in January 2011 was appointed as chair of Reprieve, which campaigns for human rights for prisoners.

He was called to the bar in 1978, qualifying as a defense lawyer specializing in business and corporate crime. He went on to become the first director of public prosecutions (DPP) in 2003.

After 5 years as DPP he returned to work for human rights law firm Matrix Chambers, of which he was a founder member.

He was appointed a recorder of the Crown Court in 2001, deputy high court judge in 2010, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales in 2003, and a bencher of the Inner Temple in 2004.  He also lectures and advises on law and criminology at the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford and regularly writes regularly for The Times on law, security and politics.

He has been a trustee of Index on Censorship since 2009 and a Liberal Democrat Peer and a member of the House of Lords since July 2010.

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