February 9, 2021, by Katie Andrews

Nottingham law experts appointed to Lord Chancellor’s panel for the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid

The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC, has appointed Professor Sue Arrowsmith QC (Hon) and Dr Vicky Kemp, both of the University’s School of Law, to the Expert and Advisory Panel for the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid.

The Panel has been set up to assist the Chair, Sir Christopher Bellamy QC, by advising on the analysis, findings and proposed recommendations arising out of the review when examining the long-term sustainability of the criminal legal aid system.

Professor Sue Arrowsmith is a leading expert on public procurement and the procurement of legal aid services is an important dimension of the Panel’s work. She was formerly Director of the Public Procurement Research Group and leader of the EU Asia Link project to establish procurement research centres globally. She is currently a member of the Government’s Thematic Trade Advisory Group and as a member of the Cabinet Office’s Procurement Transformation Advisory Committee (2019-2020) made a major contribution to the process leading up to the recent December 2020 Green Paper on procurement reform.

Dr Vicky Kemp has extensive experience of working in criminal legal aid, including as a paralegal providing police station legal advice, a policy advisor in the former Legal Aid Board and also as a principal researcher in the Legal Services Research Centre, the independent research unit of the Legal Services Commission. Having undertaken a number of research studies into criminal legal aid, she is currently working on a research project to examine the impact of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) on the detention and questioning of young suspects, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

Dr Kemp said: “I am delighted to be a member of this Panel and I am looking forward to the challenges it presents, particularly in providing high quality legal advice and representation, through a diverse set of practitioners, is appropriately funded and responsive to the needs of people drawn into the criminal justice system.”

The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP, said: “I am grateful to Sir Christopher Bellamy and his esteemed panel for undertaking this vital piece of work which will play a crucial role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the criminal legal aid market.”

Chair of the Review, Sir Christopher Bellamy, said: “I look forward to undertaking my role as the chair and am very grateful to the panel members who have agreed to advise me on the analysis, findings and any proposed recommendations of the review. Having a panel of experts with a range of backgrounds, skills and legal experience is vital in ensuring a thorough review of the criminal legal aid system.”

Other Panel members include Richard Atkinson, Kate Aubrey Johnson, Professor Chris Bones, Dr Natalie Byrom, Jo Cecil, Anita Charlesworth CBE, Professor Dame Hazel Genn DBE, QC (Hon), FBA, LLD, The Right Honourable Baroness Hallett DBE, Neil Hawes QC, Professor Stephen Mayson, Margaret Obi, Crispin Passmore, Professor Neil Rickman, Bill Waddington and Dr Kevin Wong.

 

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