Reappointment of the Legal Services Oversight Commissioner

Date published: 24 March 2020

Finance Minister Conor Murphy has reappointed Mrs Marian Cree as Legal Services Oversight Commissioner for a second term.

Mrs Cree, who has been appointed for a further three years until April 2023, will also continue in the role of Lay Observer until new structures for handling complaints against the legal profession are fully in place.

 

Annual remuneration of £35,000 for this post remains unchanged.

Notes to editors: 

  1. The Legal Services Oversight Commissioner is a public appointment, established by the Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (NI) 2016 (the ‘Act’). The Act introduces new provisions to move away from a system where legal professionals handle their own complaints process, to one where lay people lead the process. Once fully in place, the Act’s provisions mean the Commissioner will be an independent officer responsible for making provisions regarding complaints against members of the legal profession. The Commissioner will not be directly involved in assessing complaints, but will have an important role in overseeing the introduction of the new system and monitoring the effectiveness of the new structures.
  2. Mrs Cree does not hold any other Ministerial public appointments. Her initial appointment, announced on 20 February 2017, was made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice, and made by the Minister for Finance in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, as per section 1(3) of the Act.
  3. The Lord Chief Justice was also consulted on, and had no objection to, Mrs Cree’s reappointment.
  4. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process, however, the Commissioner for Public Appointments requires the political activity of appointees to be published. On appointment, Mrs Cree declared that she had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years, a position that has not changed since appointment.

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