Membership

The Rt Hon. the Lord Newton of Braintree OBE, DL: Chairman of the Council since 1 October 1999. Lord Newton was Conservative Member of Parliament for Braintree, Essex, from 1974-1997. During that period he held many Ministerial offices including Secretary of State for Social Security (1989 -1992). Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (1992 -1997). He became a Life Peer in 1997.

Professor Alistair MacLeary: Honorary Professor, University of Heriot-Watt. Member of the Lands Tribunal for Scotland (1989-2005). Formerly MacRobert Professor of Land Economy at the University of Aberdeen. Previous public appointments included membership of the Natural Environment Research Council and the Scottish Valuation and Rating Council. Member of the Council and Chairman of the Scottish Committee since September 2005.

Mrs Elizabeth Cameron: Formerly worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau, latterly in Edinburgh Sheriff Court as manager of the In-Court Advice Services and co-ordinator of the Mediation Service. Vice Chair of the Scottish Mediation Network. Lay member of the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal since 2001. Member of the Council and the Scottish Committee since September 2002.

Sue Davis: Chair of Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals Trust and Councillor (Lab) for Dawley Magna Ward, Telford and Wrekin Council. Involved in senior, elected, local government for twenty years and most recently served as Cabinet Member for Resources in the Borough of Telford and Wrekin. Before creation of the Unitary Authority in 1997 was leader of Shropshire County Council, having served on the Council since 1981. Deputy Chair of the Advantage West Midlands Regional Development Agency 1998-2004. Member of the Council since December 2005.

Ms Penny Letts: Policy Consultant and Trainer specialising in mental health, mental capacity and disability law. Member of the Mental Health Act Commission 1995-2004. Policy Advisor for the Law Society 1987-2001. Member of the Judicial Studies Board's Tribunals committee since May 2003. Member of the Council since September 2002. Chair of the Social Affairs committee and member of the User Issues Group.

Mr Stephen Mannion QPM: Scottish Area Commander of the British Transport Police from 1992-1999 following a career with Strathclyde Police from 1960-1992 reaching the rank of Assistant Chief Constable. Awarded the Queen's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 1997. Lay member of the Employment Tribunal Service from 1999 to August 2001. Member of the Council and of the Scottish Committee since August 2001.

Ms Bronwyn McKenna: Solicitor, qualified in England and Wales, and in Northern Ireland, specialising in employment, trade union and public inquiry law. Currently a Director at UNISON, leading the union's work on organising, member representation and participation. Principal legal advisor to UNISON's National Executive Council and Senior Management Group. Sits on the Central Arbitration Committee and formerly a member of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council. Member of the Council since April 2007 and of the Social Affairs and User Issues Committees.

Mr Bernard Quoroll: Solicitor and CEDR registered mediator with an extensive career in local government. Held the post of Chief Executive in three local authorities: Aylesbury Vale District Council 1985-1995; Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 1995-1999; Isle of Wight County Council 1999-2001. Member of the Council since May 2003.

Professor Genevra Richardson CBE: Professor of Law, King's College London. Member of the Mental Health Act Commission 1987-1992. Chair of the Prisoners' Advice Service 1994-2003. Chair of the Expert Committee on Reform of Mental Health Legislation 1998-1999. Member of the Medical Research Council 2001 to date. Trustee, Nuffield Foundation 2002 to date. Member of the Council since February 2001.

Dr Jonathan Spencer CB: Civil servant 1974-2005, the last 8 years as Director General and Departmental Board Member first at the DTI (Director General Resources and Services, then Director General Business Group) and for the last 3 years at LCD/DCA (Director General Clients and Policy) where among other tasks he was responsible for the work leading up to publication of the DCA White Paper on Tribunal reform.Over the last 25 years has worked in a wide variety of government roles in three different departments (Cabinet Office, DTI, LCD/DCA). Now a public policy consultant, and a member of the Law Society Regulation Board. Member of the Council since December 2005.

Dr Adrian V Stokes OBE: Chief Executive of CAT Ltd, a consultancy specialising in health informatics, international standards and computer networking. Worked in NHS 1981-2000, retiring as Joint Director of the Information Management Centre. Non-Executive Director of Barnet Primary Care Trust and a Special Trustee of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust. Governor, University of Hertfordshire. Member of Disability Appeal Tribunals 1992-2003. Member of the Council since November 2005.

Mrs Pat Thomas CBE: Local Government Ombudsman in the north Midlands and the north of England 1985-2005 and Vice-chairman of the Commission for Local Administration 1993-2005. Previously head of School of Law at Lancashire Polytechnic. Member of the Greater Manchester and Lancashire Rent Assessment Panel 1977-1985, Vice-President and President 1984-1985. Part-time chair of Blackpool Supplementary Benefit Appeal Tribunal 1980-1985. Member of the Council since December 2005.

Mr Brian Thompson: Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Liverpool with teaching and research covering the whole field of administrative justice. Member of the Panel of Specialist Advisers to the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, and Consultant on Public Law to the Northern Ireland Ombudsman. Member of the Council since April 2007 and of the Social Affairs and User Issues Committees.

Heather Louise Wilcox: Accountant and former career civil servant. Director of Primary and Community Health, National Assembly for Wales until retirement September 2001. Appointed by the Privy Council as a member of General Optical Council January 2002. Serves on Quaker Finance and Property Central Committee and as a director of Friends Trusts Limited. Former Treasurer of Cruse Cymru. Member of the Council since February 2003

Ms Ann Abraham: UK Parliamentary Ombudsman and Health Service Ombudsman for England. Ex-officio member of the Council since her appointment in November 2002. Ex-officio member of the Commission for Local Administration in England. Chair of the British and Irish Ombudsman Association 2004-2006.

Professor Alice Brown: Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Ex officio member of the Council and the Scottish Committee since July 2004.