The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed that interim Chair Catherine Brown will remain in the role until at least the end of March 2026. With approval from the Lord Chancellor, Brown’s appointment extends from 1 January to 31 March 2026, following her initial appointment in February 2025. She succeeded Alan Kershaw, who stepped down unexpectedly after less than two years, citing personal reasons.

The Ministry of Justice stated the appointment was made “pending the conclusion of the current campaign to recruit a substantive Chair.” Brown has been a member of the LSB Board since 2019 and brings extensive leadership experience across the private and public sectors. She previously served as Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency and currently chairs the Enforcement Conduct Board, the first independent oversight body for the civil enforcement sector.

Her broader leadership background includes serving as Vice Chair of the Wellcome Trust advisory group on increasing diversity and inclusion in science, as well as holding the position of Equal Opportunities Commissioner. She also chairs the Internet Watch Foundation, a charity focused on preventing the spread of child sexual abuse material online.

The LSB, established under the Legal Services Act, is the independent body responsible for overseeing regulators such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Council for Licensed Conveyancers, CILEX, and the Bar Council. It also supervises the Office for Legal Complaints and its administration of the Legal Ombudsman scheme, which handles consumer complaints about legal services.

Appointments and reappointments to the LSB are made by the Lord Chancellor and regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, who was consulted on this extension. 

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Source: Today's Conveyancer