Catherine Brown appointed interim LSB Chair

The Lord Chancellor, after consulting the Lady Chief Justice, has approved the appointment of Catherine Brown as the interim Chair of the Legal Services Board (LSB). This role she will occupy from 1 January to 31 March 2026. Catherine Brown is well-regarded in both the public and private sectors, having previously served as CEO of the Food Standards Agency. Currently, she is the first Chair of the Enforcement Conduct Board, which is dedicated to providing independent oversight of the civil enforcement sector. Furthermore, Ms Brown has contributed as the vice chair of the Wellcome Trust advisory group on increasing diversity and inclusion in science and has been an Equal Opportunities Commissioner.

In her current role, she also chairs the Internet Watch Foundation, a charity focused on preventing the sharing of child sexual abuse material online. Brown has been part of the LSB Board since 2019 and stepped in as interim LSB Chair in February 2025, highlighting her extensive experience in leadership roles. The Legal Services Board itself is a crucial independent body that oversees the regulation of lawyers in both England and Wales. Its mission is centred on modernising legal services to enhance consumer protection within the marketplace.

The LSB operates independently of both the government and the legal profession, serving as a regulatory authority that oversees approved regulators. These regulators, in turn, manage the conduct of lawyers. Additionally, the LSB supervises the Office for Legal Complaints, which administers the Legal Ombudsman scheme to address grievances about legal professionals. Appointments to the LSB, including Brown's, are made by the Lord Chancellor under the Legal Services Act 2007. The Commissioner for Public Appointments was consulted regarding this interim appointment to ensure the organisation's smooth functioning and continuity while awaiting the selection of a permanent Chair. This process follows the Governance Code on Public Appointments