LSC Appointment for Professor Hamilton of 1kbw

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw has appointed Professor Carolyn Hamilton and Mr Peter Smith to the Legal Services Commission.

The two commissioners will start on 1 April 2008, for four years.

Professor Hamilton is a nationally and internationally recognised expert in family justice with many years of experience in child and family law, as an academic, practising barrister and Director of the Children's Legal Centre.

Jack Straw said:

'I am delighted that Professor Hamilton and Mr Smith have accepted appointments to the Commission. The Commission is working closely with the Ministry of Justice to create a sustainable legal aid scheme and contributes to the government's programme to reform the justice system. The experience of the new Commissioners will be invaluable in helping the Commission to achieve its goals.'

Carolyn Hamilton holds a Chair in Law at the University of Essex, is the Director of the Children's Legal Centre and Senior Legal Adviser to 11 Million (Office of the Children's Commissioner for England), a part-time practising barrister at 1 Kings Bench Walk and a member of the National Family Justice Council.

She works closely in a variety of roles with the family judiciary, the Bar, solicitors and non-governmental organisations. In her role as Director of the Children's Legal Centre she works as a consultant for UNICEF, European Union programmes and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on policy and practice reform in the field of juvenile justice, child protection and education, mainly in the ex-Soviet states.

She is a member of a number of professional societies, including the Family Law Bar Association, and is a well-known child and family lawyer who has researched and published widely.

For full announcement:  http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease110308a.htm