13 April 2018
The Lord Chancellor today announced the appointment by Her Majesty the Queen of 3 new Commissioners of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) following an open competition.
The new Commissioners are: Sarah Lee (solicitor), Brie Stevens-Hoare QC (barrister) and Anuja Dhir QC (Circuit judge).
The appointments are for a 3-year period commencing 9 April 2018 for Ms Lee and Ms Stevens-Hoare. Ms Dhir will start on 9 June 2018, following the completion of the term of the current Circuit judge Commissioner, Usha Karu.
The JAC is an independent commission that selects candidates for judicial office in courts and tribunals in England and Wales, and for some tribunals with a UK-wide jurisdiction. The JAC selects candidates for judicial office on merit, through fair and open competition.
The JAC comprises a Chairman and 14 Commissioners.
The full announcement is on the GOV.UK website.
Note to editors
These appointments were made in accordance with the Cabinet Office Governance Code for Public Appointments. Terms have the possibility of reappointment, subject to the provisions of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
Remuneration for lay Commissioners is non-pensionable fee of £338 a day. For serving salaried judges these posts are unpaid.
The time commitment is between 17 and 28 days a year.
Biographies
Sarah Lee is a solicitor. She was appointed as a partner of Slaughter and May in 1999 and sits on the firm’s Partnership Board. She is currently Head of the Dispute Resolution Group. Her practice covers all aspects of major commercial disputes, often involving multiple jurisdictions.
Brie Stevens-Hoare KC has been in practice as a self-employed barrister since 1986 and became a Queen’s Counsel in 2013. She is a property specialist whose practice extends to probate and professional negligence. She leads the property team at Hardwicke, where she focuses on disputes about development projects and commercial property.
Anuja Dhir KC is a Circuit judge and was appointed as a judge at the Old Bailey in 2017. She was called to the Bar in 1989. She practised as a barrister for 23 years, mainly in crime and from 2007 as a special advocate in national security cases. She has been involved in advocacy training in the UK and abroad for over 20 years.
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