ONA Magazine | Sir Max Hill

SIR MAX HILL KC IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S LEADING BARRISTERS WITH A CAREER AT THE BAR SPANNING OVER THREE DECADES. HE SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS FOR ENGLAND AND WALES FOR FIVE YEARS UNTIL OCTOBER 2023 AND WAS KNIGHTED IN THIS YEAR’S NEW YEAR HONOURS LIST FOR SERVICES TO LAW AND ORDER.

Read an excerpt of Sir Max Hill's ONA feature below:

Sir Max attended the Royal Grammar School from 1972-1982 and in 1981, alongside two other students, won the North East heat of the English Speaking Union Debating Competition. That was only part of his rich RGS journey. 

He was Deputy Head Prefect in his final year and awarded the Debating Prize at the RGS 1982 Prize-Giving event. 

With a glint in his eye, Sir Max Hill playfully scans the room looking for a man with a big red book. 

The Old Novo and former Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales is at the Royal Grammar School to bestow the eponymous ‘Hill House Debating Trophy’ for the very first time. 

But first there’s a trip to the Archive where Sir Max half expects Eammon Andrews to leap from behind the rare bookshelves when he sees what RGS archivist Louise Piffero has unearthed. 

“I haven’t laid eyes on this stuff in decades,” he laughs, surveying the paper trappings of his eclectic journey at the RGS.  

There’s evidence of Sir Max’s schoolboy love of drama, debating, and deep passion for history. 

With a laugh he lingers over a black-and-white photo of himself delivering the news on ITV’s Tyne Tees which was published in the 1980 Prize-Giving Programme. 

It was a formative experience that would have a lasting impression on a teenage Max. 

“Head of English Jo Unsworth mentioned a competition Tyne Tees had for kids to read the news’, Sir Max recalls, “and he looked at me and said: ‘You know, you should do it’. Months later, there I was, reading the news on TV.” 

Praised by then Head Alister Cox for “doing it in style, unabashed by the TV cameras”, Sir Max’s unexpected broadcasting stint sparked an enduring love for hospital radio and a heightened awareness of broader societal issues beyond the big red brick building on Eskdale Road. 

Before long, Sir Max was nestled in a cramped studio within the former mortuary at Newcastle General Hospital delivering news bulletins for Radio Tyneside. It marked Sir Max's initial immersion into 'real' life. 

“So much of our school activities lacked a community aspect, but [hospital radio] made a significant impact on me,' Sir Max reflects. “I felt like this comfortable posh grammar schoolboy needed a few corners knocking off, and working unpaid in a radio station certainly did that.  

“Since then, I've been involved in charity work, and you can trace a direct line from that experience to the charities I now chair. 

“These days, the school seems to do a much better job of instilling social conscience in its students.”  

Today, RGS pupils engage in social issues through various initiatives, including community service programs, charity fundraising, and social awareness campaigns.  

They participate in global citizenship activities, take on leadership roles to advocate for causes, and are involved in environmental projects. The school also encourages partnerships with local schools to foster a strong sense of social responsibility among students. 

CLICK HERE to read the ONA Magazine Issue 114 online.