John Edwards is confirmed as the new Information Commissioner

On 17 December 2021 Her Majesty by Letters Patent appointed John Edwards as Information Commissioner with his five year term beginning on 3 January 2022.

John Edwards was previously New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner and will bring with him a wealth of data regulatory experience, as Privacy Commissioner but also from 20 years of practicing law and specialising in information law.

Under the Data Protection Act, the Information Commissioner is appointed by Her Majesty by Letters Patent on the basis of fair and open competition and on the recommendation from ministers (the Secretary of State for Digital Culture, Media and Sport, through the Prime Minister). John Edwards’ appointment as Information Commissioner was approved by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee after a pre-appointment hearing on 9 September 2021.

Ministers were assisted in their decision-making by an Advisory Assessment Panel which included a departmental official and a senior independent panel member approved by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

ENDS

• This appointment process was run in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
• Remuneration for the new Information Commissioner will be £200,000.
• The ICO is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights. The Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport is the ICO’s sponsoring department within Government. Further information about the ICO
• The previous Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, finished her term on 30 November. Paul Arnold, the ICO’s Deputy Chief Executive, was designated as the ICO’s Accounting Officer from 1 December 2021 until 2 January 2022. The regulatory responsibilities of the Commissioner are delegated to Deputy Commissioners through the ICO’s Scheme of Delegation. This ensures continuity of regulatory decision making during this period.