What the Records Show.
Between 2009 and 2013, the UK’s accreditation system underwent a period of critical transition—one that would later be obscured by omission, misstatement, and false testimony. At the beginning of this period were three individuals whose roles intertwined across forensic governance, accreditation oversight, and legal authority: Dr Jane Beaumont (UKAS), Keir Starmer (then Director of Public Prosecutions at the CPS), and Roger Coe-Salazar (Chief Crown Prosecutor for the South East).
3/26/20251 min read
2009
In July 2009, the Forensic Science Regulator published a consultation response summarising views on the accreditation of forensic practitioners. The document names Keir Starmer QC (then DPP, CPS) as a contributor. It also explicitly discusses UKAS’s capacity, raising doubts about whether UKAS had “the necessary skill base and staff available” to meet upcoming demands for forensic accreditation (FSR Consultation Summary, July 2009).
This consultation establishes UKAS’s early involvement in forensic oversight, with Dr Jane Beaumont already recognised as Director of Accreditation and a long-standing member of the Forensic Science Advisory Council (FSAC). She appears in the official member list covering FSAC sessions throughout 2007–2009, alongside Roger Coe-Salazar (Chief Crown Prosecutor) and other senior forensic and legal figures.
2012
On 28 February 2012 and again on 3 July 2012, Beaumont is recorded as formally present at FSAC meetings, representing UKAS. Her presence is witnessed alongside Roger Coe-Salazar in February, further cementing the link between CPS leadership and UKAS accreditation governance. Keir Starmer, as CPS Director and Chair of the CPS Board, hosted Coe-Salazar as a guest at the 23 October 2012 and May 2013 CPS Board meetings.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/minutes-cps-board-meeting-23-october-2012
That same month—October 2012—UKAS issued ACC 1000, Issue No. 8, which formally defined the role of Accreditation Director as the individual responsible for delegating assessment responsibilities and decision-making in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011. This was a regulatory milestone. Yet this came just months before Dr Beaumont’s official resignation date of 1 February 2013, as listed in Companies House records.
Truth in silence