Former Scottish public services ombudsman appointed chair of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

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A new chair has been appointed to the board of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC).

Former Scottish public services ombudsman Jim Martin, who was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s honours, will replace Bill Brackenridge chairing the board of the complaints body.

Martin, who is currently a member of the Scottish Government’s panel to review the regulation of legal services, was Scottish public services ombudsman for eight years from May 2009 to April 2017.

Prior to that, he was the police complaints commissioner for Scotland from 2007 to 2009 and a member of the Scottish Funding Council from 2004 to 2009.

Martin was also general secretary of the Educational Institute for Scotland for eight years, from 1987 to 1995.

Earlier in his career, he was a non-executive chairman of Logica and ran a management consultancy.

Martin is currently a trustee of the Scottish Mining Museum and Positive Prisons, Positive Futures.

Commenting on his appointment, Martin thanked his predecessor and said he had “opened the door to reforms” which could help better serve consumers and the legal sector.

He added: “I am delighted to join at a time where there is real opportunity for further improvement and reform, and look forward to meeting consumer groups and professionals as we set the agenda for the coming decade.”

Also joining the SLCC board is Morag Sheppard, who has a background in corporate governance, organisational change, operational risk management and directing a large complaints department.

Sheppard retired from Capita Life and Pensions in June 2015, having been its frameworks director since October 2012.

She replaces Professor Kevin Dunion OBE, who had come to the end of his five-year term.

Martin thanked Dunion for his service, in particular, his contribution to championing freedom of information and knowledge management at SLCC.

Commenting on the appointments, SLCC chief executive Neil Stevenson said: “We are delighted to welcome Jim and Morag.

“These appointments finalise the line-up of our top team for the next few years and prepare us for what we anticipate will be a radical period of change in legal regulation and particularly complaints handling.”