Richard Blakeway appointed as OLC chair

In a significant development for the legal sector, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed the appointment of Richard Blakeway as the new Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC). This decision comes after a competitive selection process and follows Blakeway's recent appearance before the Justice Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny on 11 March 2026. The appointment has received the official approval of the Minister of State for Justice, Sarah Sackman KC MP.

Blakeway takes over from Elizabeth Davies, whose term as OLC Chair concluded on 31 March 2026. Catherine Brown, who led the recruitment panel for the OLC, expressed her satisfaction with the appointment, stating, "We are pleased to confirm Richard's appointment as Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints. The LSB has tasked him with overseeing the transformation of the Legal Ombudsman Scheme to ensure it delivers effective, efficient redress for consumers and uses the intelligence it gathers to drive up standards across the legal sector. Richard brings a strong track record of driving meaningful change in ombudsman services, and we are confident he has the vision and experience to lead the OLC into its next chapter."

Brown also acknowledged the contributions of Elizabeth Davies, noting, "I would like to pay tribute to Elisabeth Davies, who has served as Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints for six years. She took up the role at an extraordinarily challenging time, as the Covid-19 pandemic created significant pressures for the organisation and the wider sector. Throughout her tenure, Elisabeth has been a consistent and effective advocate for raising standards. We wish her well for the future."

In response to his appointment, Blakeway shared his thoughts on the role, asserting, “Ombudsman services make a massive difference to lives every day. And their impact can go far wider than individual cases. The Legal Ombudsman is central to building trust and confidence in legal services. I am excited to be joining the OLC as its new chair at such an important moment in the Legal Ombudsman’s development. The service needs to transform in response to new challenges and ensure it has a wider impact by sharing insights across the legal sector to raise standards and strengthen complaint handling. I want to build on the strong progress already made. The commitment and professionalism I’ve already seen across the organisation gives me real confidence about what we can achieve.”

Additionally, the LSB has announced the appointment of Owen Purcell to the OLC, following the departure of Patricia Tueje earlier this year after completing her first term.