Law’s arch-regulator appoints first ever board
Irwin Mitchell senior partner Michael Napier QC and former Reuters general counsel Rosemary Martin (pictured) are among the first-ever members of the Legal Services Board (LSB), which was confirmed today.
Appointed by Lord Chancellor and justice secretary Jack Straw, the board was set up under the Legal Services Act to serve as the overarching regulator for the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board, wielding the right to strip those bodies of their powers.
Jack Straw said in a statement: “Establishing a new Legal Services Board is another important step towards raising the standards and simplifying regulation in the legal services sector.
“The Legal Services Board has an important remit as a new independent and publicly accountable body.”
The nine-member board, chosen from more than 300 applicants, is expected to cost £3.9m to set up and is due to be fully operational by Spring 2010. David Edmonds, its chair, was appointed in April (TheLawyer.com, 23 April).
Members will sit for three years from September, receiving a £15,000 salary for an estimated 30 days’ work a year.
The board members in full:
- Terence Connor, Financial Services Compensation Scheme non-executive director;
- Stephen Green, retired chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police;
- Rosemary Martin, former general counsel, Reuters
- Bill Moyes, executive chairman of Monitor – the independent regulator of the NHS Foundation Trusts
- Michael Napier QC, Irwin Mitchell senior partner
- Barbara Saunders, Independent consumer consultant
- Nicole Smith, Judicial Appointments Commission panel chair
- Andrew Whittaker, Financial Services Authority general counsel;
- David Wolfe, Matrix Chambers founder.
To read an interview with David Edmond, chair of the LSB, click here.
Readers' comments (7)
Anonymous | 17-Jul-2008 4:48 pm
Sector regulation
Almost any change in the way the sector is regulated presently is worth a shot. The way it currently seems to work is that the Law Society fails, gets fined for its failure, pays the fine with my (and your) fee contributions then carries on roughly as usual. A bit of private sector experience added t the mix might just prove the answer.
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City partner | 17-Jul-2008 4:51 pm
New board
I have no reason to doubt the capability of the lawyers in question, but clearly any lawyer busy actually lawyering isn't going to have time to add on a part-time role like this. Appointing people for £15k for one month a year might keep costs down, but could also be a false economy.
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anonymous | 17-Jul-2008 5:26 pm
New Board
What can I say a board that is to regulate activities of both the Bar and Solicitors Profession has a board overwhelmingly consisting of solicitors? Need I say more as to where the government believes the legal profession should be heading?
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Anonymous | 17-Jul-2008 5:28 pm
New board
Not a business person among them then? Boards direct, where are the experienced directors?
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Christopher | 17-Jul-2008 5:34 pm
Board experience
I think Terence has experience of quite a few boards (he was on the board at Mirror Group, for one), and some of the others could do too. Probably left out for the sake of brevity.
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Anonymous | 17-Jul-2008 7:55 pm
Board
So, as well as the Law Society, SRA, SDT and LCS, we now have another regulatory board - the LSB.How can this possibly be regarded as 'simplifying regulation in the legal services sector'?
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Anonymous | 18-Jul-2008 5:32 pm
Part time
Has City partner not heard of the concept of a non executive role? And of people doing things *after* being a City partner?
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