Two judges, a QC and the head of the Crown Prosecution Service woke up over the weekend to the exciting news that they had been included in the Queen’s birthday honours list.
However, when they proceeded to check out the illustrious company amongst whom they found themselves, their hearts may have fallen a little bit upon discovering that fellow subjects had been honoured for services to basket-making, the pig industry and organising a party on the Regent’s Canal.
A newly knighted lawyer peruses the Queen’s honours list
Knighthoods went to former deputy high court judge Clive Callman, Treasury Solicitor’s Department chief executive Paul Jenkins QC and CPS chief Peter Lewis, while district judge Nicholas Crichton scooped a CBE. Meanwhile, ex-Simmons & Simmons partner Bill Knight bagged an OBE and St Ives Chambers barrister Jason Hadden an MBE.
Jenkins’ knighthood caused some eye-raising because he was responsible for giving the go-ahead for Jeremy Hunt to oversee the bid for control of BSkyB and, more recently, was said to have helped David Cameron to prepare for his appearance at the Leveson Inquiry.