(interview by Walker Syachalinga, drafting by Shalini Ranjan)

Could you please give us a brief background to your education?
I attended boarding school and was expected to follow in the footsteps of my father and become an underwriter. I was actually atrocious at school and viewed as having no potential whatsoever. When I left school I joined the army, much to the concern of my parents, where I spent a number of years on the front line in Northern Ireland, the special investigation branch and then became a commander. I never thought I would be a lawyer when I was in the army, but I later developed an interest in law, so I did law at A level and then went to Kings College London and studied law as a mature student, which was fantastic fun. I then went to Bar school, managed to get a funded pupillage and then an LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law at King’s and LSE. Then I had an offer from a large company based in South Africa to be a corporate legal advisor. After a few years, I came back to the UK and joined the CPS. One of the most significant experiences I had at university was being taught by some of the best people in the country. I was taught the value and joy of professional debate and I learnt that you could have a really strong professional debate without an argument and that’s a crucial piece of understanding if you want to be a lawyer.
Has the education you received played a significant role in your professional life?
I would say university has because what I got out of it was a real passion for law. I learnt that the difference between being a good lawyer and an average lawyer is that an average lawyer will read the nutshell or the textbook. The good lawyer will go to
the original source text and that was a valuable lesson. School certainly didn’t have an impact on my work, but what it did do was provide a contrast; I ended up having public school, boarding school and then the real harsh front line service in the army.
That gave me the ability to communicate at any level and feel comfortable with it. Most importantly, it taught me to never ever judge anyone until you know them.
Did you always aspire to work for the CPS?
Not always, I saw an advert on the tube for prosecutors in CPS London. so I decided to apply for it and work there for maybe six months to a year, while I assessed my other options. But I enjoy working for the CPS and that’s why I’m still here ten years later.
What are your main responsibilities as the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS?
I’m responsible and accountable for all the activities of the CPS in the south-east region. This includes toplevel casework decisions to making sure the working environment is safe for people to work in. My three most important responsibilities are providing leadership, decision making and providing a clear direction for my staff. I also have to make sure that we deliver the highest possible service and never accept the status quo.
What was the most challenging case that you had to work on?
In the last couple years, it has probably been the Securitas robbery, a case involving Britain’s biggest cash robbery. There have been some key issues, which I have had to make some big decisions on and the high profile nature of the case has led to a big balance of risk.
What are the main qualities of a good advocate?
Preparation, confidence, courtesy, fearlessness and, very importantly, knowing when to stop arguing.
What kind of activities would you encourage law students to engage in so that they can improve their employability?
If you want to be an advocate, you need to get into mooting, debating and any type of public speaking. You need to get over your stage fright. Work experience is also very important because it enables you to try different roles and to find a job that is right for you. Being happy and comfortable with your job is far more important than the salary you would get.
Are there any opportunities at the CPS for people who do not enjoy advocacy, like aspiring solicitors?
Yes, there are plenty. There are quite a few lawyers who perform business roles because the CPS is a very large and complex organisation that needs to be run. However, if you’re undertaking a legal role in the CPS then you’d be generally geared towards advocacy, as is the case with most of our lawyers.
Do you think it is harder for stateschooled or poorer students to succeed in the legal profession?
Inside the CPS, it really is irrelevant and progression is based on merit rather than backgrounds. Nobody has ever actually asked me, unless it came up in casual conversation, what university I went to. People here are primarily concerned with how you do your job, not where you got your education.
Have you got any advice for students who have just started reading law but haven’t yet decided on which direction to take?
Don’t rush it because you don’t need to. Don’t spend your three years doing a law degree fretting about what you’re going to do with it afterwards. Make the most of your time studying law and get out of it what you naturally want to get out of it. You don’t realise when you’re doing your degree that it’s a one-off opportunity, so you have to maximise what you get out of it. If you put your heart and soul into it, you will enjoy it. The real value of a law degree is critical analysis and thinking, and constructively challenging things – asking why. Don’t worry if you don’t want to go into the legal profession either; a law degree would be valuable in most fields.
What was the highlight of your legal career?
It was when I was appointed as Chief Crown Prosecutor for a small area in Gloucestershire. This is because becoming a CCP enables you to make a difference not just to an individual case but you can bring principles of justice that will impact a lot of people and you’re in a position where you can actually do it.
Do you still have aspirations or goals to accomplish in the next few years?
Dozens. I still want to realise the enormous potential of the CPS in Kent. It’s really rewarding every time you see your organisation taking another step forward. I would like to make more progress on making cohesions between the criminal justice agencies and the other public services, so they have a more holistic approach to preventing crime and disorder, rehabilitation and so forth. I have a particular interest in really moving forward in tackling and combating human trafficking. I think it’s a vile form of human slavery and extremely difficult to investigate and prosecute.

What is the most important advantage of working for the CPS that is not enjoyed by lawyers in the private sector?
You are driven by the fact that you’re delivering something to the public, not just the individual, but the public in a very wide sense and you’re doing it independently. Also, the sheer variety of work and the variety of what you do on a daily basis. It’s enormously exciting. For more information on the Crown Prosecution Service and Roger Coe-Salazar, visit: www.cps.gov.uk/local/ southeast/kent.html
Shalini Ranjan is in the third year of a Law LLB