Tuesday 23 July 2013 by Catherine Baksi

Alison Saunders will succeed Keir Starmer QC as director of public prosecutions at the Crown Prosecution Service, the attorney general announced today.

She joined the CPS in 1986, the year it was set up, and is the first DPP to be appointed from within the ranks of the prosecuting agency.

A barrister, Saunders (pictured) is currently the chief Crown prosecutor for London. She will take over on 1 November, following Starmer's decision to step down at the end of his five-year term.

Announcing the appointment, Dominic Grieve QC said: 'Alison will make an excellent director of public prosecutions and is the right person to help the Crown Prosecution Service meet the challenges it will face in the coming years.'

He said: 'I am particularly pleased that Alison is the first head of the CPS to be appointed from within its ranks as proof of the high quality of the professionals that work within the service.

Grieve thanked Starmer for the 'great contribution' he has made to the CPS and the wider criminal justice system. 'He can be proud of the reforms that he and his staff have led to keep our criminal justice system one of the best in the world.'

Saunders said: 'To lead an organisation of committed and professional staff is an honour, especially having worked for the CPS since its inception.'

'I look forward to carrying on with the fantastic work that Keir Starmer QC has undertaken, ensuring the CPS further improves and continues with reforms, both within the CPS and more widely in the criminal justice system,' she said.

As chief Crown prosecutor for London, Saunders has been involved in many high-profile case, including the retrial of Stephen Lawrence's murder case as well as the cases following the 2011 London riots.

Before joining the CPS in 1986, she worked at Lloyd's of London after completing her pupilage in a common law set.