Nick Hawkins appointed as new Chair

The Adjudication Panel of the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has announced that Nick Hawkins will take over as Chair from 24 March, following the departure of Victoria Goodfellow, who is stepping down to take on a judicial role.

Mr Hawkins, a barrister by profession, has had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, where he spent over a decade prosecuting, defending, and sitting as a Judge Advocate in The Court Martial. He later served for 15 years as a Chief Crown Prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service, followed by roles at the Independent Police Complaints Commission and as Chief Executive of the Legal Ombudsman.

In recent years, he has served as a Legally Qualified Chair for police misconduct hearings, a lay chair of the Regulatory Tribunal of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and a member of the Investigation and Conduct Committees for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He is also a member of the British Transport Police Authority and provides consultancy on criminal justice matters both in the UK and overseas.

Outgoing Chair Victoria Goodfellow welcomed the appointment, saying after nearly six years in the role, I am delighted that we have been able to secure someone with the skills and experience that Nick brings to take forward the vital work of the Panel as the independent disciplinary tribunal of the CLC. It is important and challenging work and I wish Nick and the rest of the Panel the best for the coming years.

Incoming Chair Nick Hawkins expressed his enthusiasm for the role, saying it is a real honour to take over from Victoria Goodfellow as Chair of the Adjudication Panel. I am looking forward to meeting colleagues and am keen to start work.

His appointment follows an open recruitment process conducted by the Adjudication Panel Chair.