Barristers' regulator seeks a new Chair following the announcement of Kathryn Stone’s departure as Chair of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) in the summer, to start her new role as HM Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Authorities (HMICFRS). The BSB has now appointed recruitment consultants GatenbySanderson to support the search for a new Chair.
The BSB is seeking to appoint a Chair who will lead its Board and set the strategic direction of the Bar Standards Board. The Chair will hold the Executive Team to account as it implements an ambitious and transformative Reform programme, overseen by the Board. The programme aims to make the BSB an effective, proportionate and consumer-focused regulator in the public interest. The BSB welcomes applications from all candidates and values diversity of background, skills and experience.
The Chair will be an experienced non-executive who has never been a member of the legal profession, with demonstrable and substantial board-level experience as Chair in a complex organisation. They will have a significant track record of senior leadership, with the ability to chair effectively in an environment subject to intense external scrutiny. The Chair will represent the BSB with key stakeholders including the General Council of the Bar, the Legal Services Board, the profession and the public. They will be politically aware, able to quickly grasp a complex regulatory environment, exercising strong diplomatic skills while commanding confidence. They will have experience developing relationships to drive positive outcomes and leading organisational change and development. Their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, coupled with their integrity and judgment, will inspire public confidence in regulation and hold the respect of a highly educated, demanding and articulate profession.
All candidates must meet the definition of a “lay person” as defined by the Legal Services Act. They must never have been authorised to supply legal services by an approved regulator (e.g. as a barrister, solicitor, legal executive etc.) in England or Wales or have been a Scottish solicitor or advocate or a Northern Irish solicitor or barrister.
Disabled candidates who require reasonable adjustments should contact GatenbySanderson via [email protected].
The Bar Standards Board is a Disability Confident Committed employer. Candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role will be guaranteed an interview. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit the job listing. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday 19 May 2025.
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
Contact: For all media enquiries call: 07432 713 328 or email [email protected].
