Kathryn Stone, Chair of the Bar Standards Board has been appointed to the role of HM Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Authorities (HMICFRS). Kathryn was selected following a rigorous recruitment process, conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. HMICFRS Inspectors are then appointed by His Majesty the King on the advice of the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister.
Kathryn will remain as Chair of the Bar Standards Board and will start the new role in the summer. Kathryn has been a member of the Board since January 2018 and was appointed Chair in August 2022.
Kathryn Stone OBE, Chair, The Bar Standards Board said:
“When I joined the Bar Standards Board seven years ago, I did so with enormous respect for the Barrister profession. It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of the Bar Standards Board, working in collaboration with the profession and other legal services regulators to ensure that the Bar is regulated in the public interest. The work of the BSB by its diverse staff is vital to promote high standards, equality and access to justice. As I reflect on my time here, I do so with an increased respect for the profession and the role of its regulator.”
Andrew Mitchell KC, Vice-Chair, The Bar Standards Board said:
“I warmly congratulate Kathryn on her important appointment and will be very sorry to see her leave us later this year. I am enormously grateful for her hard work and wisdom in leading the Bar Standards Board through a period of considerable activity, challenge and ongoing reform. She has deployed a potent mix of approachability and charm, with steely determination and resolve, significantly to advance and protect the public interest and the interests of consumers. The Board will miss her greatly.”
Mark Neale, Director General, The Bar Standards Board said:
“Kathryn has been an outstanding Chair and has brought the Board together behind an ambitious programme of reform. She has provided unfailing support to the executive team, but never failed to challenge us to do better and has built enduring relationships with stakeholders both inside and outside the Barrister profession. We shall greatly miss Kathryn when she steps down in the Summer, but are delighted to see her abilities brought to bear on a hugely important public role.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
The announcement by HM Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Authorities can be found on their website. Kathryn Stone OBE is a non-executive member of the board of the Crown Prosecution Service and has previously held roles including the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, a post she held from January 2018 to December 2022. Before that she held the post of Chief Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales. She has also been a Commissioner with the Independent Police Complaints Commission and at the Commission for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland.
About the Bar Standards Board
Our mission is to regulate barristers and specialised legal services businesses in England and Wales in the public interest. For more information about what we do visit: http://bit.ly/1gwui8t.
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