Barbara Mills
Encyclopedia
Dame Barbara Jean Lyon Mills, DBE
, QC
(née
Warnock; 10 August 1940 – 28 May 2011) was a British barrister
. She held various senior public appointments including Director of Public Prosecutions
, and was widely seen as a pioneer for women gaining such appointments in the higher echelons of the legal profession. At the time of her death she was Chair of the Professional Oversight Board
.
, Northwood, and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
. She was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple
in 1963.
She had a successful career as a barrister specialising in criminal prosecution, including high profile cases such as securing convictions against the Guinness Four and the Brighton bomber Patrick Magee. She was then appointed Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) from 1990 to 1992, and from 1992 to 1998 she was Director of Public Prosecutions
, the first woman to hold that position. During that period, the SFO was investigating a company set up by her brother-in-law David Mills
, then husband of Labour cabinet minister Tessa Jowell
, in connection with bribery allegations against Silvio Berlusconi
, but declined to investigate Mills himself. David Mills was later found guilty of accepting a cash bribe from Berlusconi, but the conviction was quashed by Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation
.
As DPP she also served as the second head of the Crown Prosecution Service
. During her term in this office, levels of bureaucracy in the CPS were high and morale was low. She resigned when criticised by the High Court
for repeatedly refusing to bring prosecutions over deaths in police custody.
She was appointed as Adjudicator
for Inland Revenue
and for HM Customs and Excise
on 26 April 1999, a part-time role independent of those departments, dealing with complaints from members of the public who are not satisfied with how the departments dealt with their complaints. Mills retained the role as Adjudicator for HM Revenue and Customs
when those bodies were merged in 2005, and held this post until 2009.
. She died on 28 May 2011 after suffering a stroke and is survived by her son and three daughters.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Warnock; 10 August 1940 – 28 May 2011) was a British barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. She held various senior public appointments including Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions (England and Wales)
The Director of Public Prosecutions of England and Wales is a senior prosecutor, appointed by the Attorney General. First created in 1879, the office was unified with that of the Treasury Solicitor less than a decade later before again becoming independent in 1908...
, and was widely seen as a pioneer for women gaining such appointments in the higher echelons of the legal profession. At the time of her death she was Chair of the Professional Oversight Board
Professional Oversight Board
The Professional Oversight Board is a UK regulatory body specializing in the accounting, auditing and actuarial professions. It is a part of the Financial Reporting Council , the independent regulator of corporate governance and reporting in the UK.-Functions:The Board's state d purpose is to...
.
Career
She was educated at St. Helen's SchoolSt. Helen's School
St. Helen's School, founded in 1899, is a selective independent day school in Northwood, North West London for girls aged three to eighteen. It is also the sister school of Merchant Taylors' School. It previously accepted boarders but as of Autumn 2009 the school is no longer a boarding school, and...
, Northwood, and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located at the end of Norham Gardens in north Oxford. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £34m....
. She was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1963.
She had a successful career as a barrister specialising in criminal prosecution, including high profile cases such as securing convictions against the Guinness Four and the Brighton bomber Patrick Magee. She was then appointed Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) from 1990 to 1992, and from 1992 to 1998 she was Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions (England and Wales)
The Director of Public Prosecutions of England and Wales is a senior prosecutor, appointed by the Attorney General. First created in 1879, the office was unified with that of the Treasury Solicitor less than a decade later before again becoming independent in 1908...
, the first woman to hold that position. During that period, the SFO was investigating a company set up by her brother-in-law David Mills
David Mills (lawyer)
David Mackenzie Mills is a British corporate lawyer who specialises in international work for Italian companies. He was accused of money-laundering and alleged tax fraud, involving Silvio Berlusconi, he was convicted in first instance and in appeal, but the conviction was quashed by the Supreme...
, then husband of Labour cabinet minister Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992. Formerly a member of both the Blair and Brown Cabinets, she is currently the Shadow Minister for the Olympics and Shadow Minister for London.-Early life:Tessa Jane...
, in connection with bribery allegations against Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
, but declined to investigate Mills himself. David Mills was later found guilty of accepting a cash bribe from Berlusconi, but the conviction was quashed by Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation
Court of Cassation (Italy)
The Supreme Court of Cassation is the major court of last resort in Italy. It has its seat in the Rome Hall of Justice.The Court of Cassation exists also to “ensure the observation and the correct interpretation of law” by ensuring the same application of law in the inferior and appeal courts...
.
As DPP she also served as the second head of the Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
. During her term in this office, levels of bureaucracy in the CPS were high and morale was low. She resigned when criticised by the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
for repeatedly refusing to bring prosecutions over deaths in police custody.
She was appointed as Adjudicator
Adjudicator
An adjudicator is someone who presides, judges and arbitrates during a formal dispute. The term adjudicator essentially means a judge, without invoking the legal term. An ombudsman is a type of adjudicator in local government in the United Kingdom....
for Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
and for HM Customs and Excise
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
HM Customs and Excise was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government in the UK. It was responsible for the collection of Value added tax , Customs Duties, Excise Duties, and other indirect taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, Climate Change Levy, Insurance Premium Tax, Landfill Tax and...
on 26 April 1999, a part-time role independent of those departments, dealing with complaints from members of the public who are not satisfied with how the departments dealt with their complaints. Mills retained the role as Adjudicator for HM Revenue and Customs
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is a non-ministerial department of the UK Government responsible for the collection of taxes and the payment of some forms of state support....
when those bodies were merged in 2005, and held this post until 2009.
Personal life
She was married to John Mills from 1962 until her death. He is a successful businessman and former leading Councillor at CamdenLondon Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
. She died on 28 May 2011 after suffering a stroke and is survived by her son and three daughters.