Legal Services Board announces appointment of Chair of Consumer Panel
17 July 2009
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has today announced the appointment of Dr Dianne Hayter as the Chair of its independent Consumer Panel. The Consumer Panel is the body set up by the Legal Services Act 2007 to advise the LSB on the interests of legal services consumers.
Dr Hayter will be responsible for chairing a Panel of around seven members covering a broad range of consumer experience, including those of individual and business consumers. She is currently Chair of the Property Standards Board, of the Actuarial Stakeholder Group of the Financial Reporting Council and, until this appointment, of the Consumer Panel of the Bar Standards Board.
David Edmonds, LSB Chair, said:
“This is a key appointment for the LSB. We need to be sure that we have independent, informed and critical advice on consumer issues. Protecting and promoting the interests of consumers is a statutory objective for all regulators in the legal services market. The Consumer Panel’s analysis and recommendations will be essential in helping consumers to feel confident that, in a rapidly changing legal services market, they are able to get the services that are right for them. The LSB must understand what consumers need and the range, quality and cost of services available to them, as well as where gaps in the market are.
“Dianne’s commitment to championing the consumer interest will help us, the profession and potential new entrants to the legal services market, to fill any gaps and improve the quality of services available.”
Dr Dianne Hayter, LSB Consumer Panel Chair, commented:
“I am delighted to accept the challenge of helping ensure the consumer voice is at the heart of the reforms the LSB will oversee, along with the Approved Regulators and the Office for Legal Complaints, to improve both the access to, and the quality of, legal services”
Dr Hayter’s appointment, which was approved by the Lord Chancellor, will commence on 20 July 2009 and recruitment of Panel members will follow.