Reappointment of Dr Lesley Rushton, OBE as Chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council

News story

Dr Lesley Rushton has been reappointed as Chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council for a further two years.

On behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, we are pleased to announce the reappointment of Dr Lesley Rushton as Chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council for a further two years from 1 April 2023.

Dr Rushton has served as Chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council since 1 April 2018 and is pleased to have been reappointed for a further two years until 31 March 2025. Dr Rushton said,

I’m very pleased to continue as Chair of this important committee which in the last 5 years has been heavily engaged in evaluating evidence relating to several major occupational risks and particularly the sequelae of Covid.

She is Emeritus Reader in Occupational Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Imperial College London whose expertise is in epidemiological and statistical research investigating environmental and occupational causes of ill health, with over 30 years’ experience in the fields of occupational, environmental and public health.

Published 30 August 2022



UK statement on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet

Thank you Mr President.

Madam High Commissioner, we wish to join others in putting on record our sincere appreciation for your work over these last four years. You have been the UN’s leading voice on human rights at an incredibly challenging time. And perhaps the most challenging time since the position of High Commissioner was created.

When you took up your mandate no one could have predicted the huge global challenges that we have collectively faced in recent times. It was essential that the international system shone a light on the many human rights challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we thank you for being at the forefront of that effort.

Regrettably, we have seen many more serious problems which could have been avoided.

The aggression against Ukraine remains, appalling, an ongoing deliberately–made crisis which has clearly been driven by one party – Russia. We thank you for your recent comments calling on the Russian President to halt the armed attack against Ukraine and for accountability for the violations which have occurred.

In all regions, we have seen persistent attacks against human rights defenders; we have witnessed dramatic set-backs on women’s rights; and we have observed with great alarm that persons belonging to minorities have come under attack.

It is vital that your successor continues to keep these issues firmly in focus.

Madam High Commissioner, we remain hopeful that in your final days in office, one piece of business, which remains as yet unfinished, will be dealt with. The UK has been among those at the forefront in calling for violations in Xinjiang, China to be properly investigated. It is essential for all of us, that no state is free from objective scrutiny on its human rights record, and that no state can be allowed to stifle the High Commissioner’s independent voice. We therefore urge you to publish your report on China.

Madam High Commissioner, we wish you well in the next chapter of your hugely distinguished life and career and thank you for everything you have done to advance human rights over these last 4 years. Thank you Mr President.



Fast-track planning route to speed up major infrastructure projects

Press release

Major infrastructure projects such road improvements and offshore wind farms will be delivered more quickly through a new fast-track planning route.

  • New fast-track planning route for major infrastructure projects in England and Wales
  • Changes will support economic growth, improve transport links and enhance our energy security
  • More than £750,000 for 10 projects to help councils get better outcomes for local communities in major infrastructure projects

Major infrastructure projects such road improvements and offshore wind farms will be delivered more quickly through a new fast-track planning route, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Greg Clark announced today (30 August).

New powers will mean shorter deadlines can be set for examinations of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects – speeding up decisions and getting projects built more quickly. The relevant Secretary of the State – for example for Energy, Transport, Environment or Levelling Up – will decide whether to put the shorter deadline in place.

This also means decisions on smaller (non-material) changes to projects that have already been approved can be made much more quickly – currently these can take up to 16 months, sometimes causing significant delays to delivery.

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark said:

Particularly in a time of high inflation, things need to be done more quickly or costs of major infrastructure projects will rise.

These changes will help deliver new infrastructure more quickly, by speeding up the planning process often moves too slowly.

The government will make the changes to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects process through amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

Today’s announcement is part of plans to speed up the planning process for large-scale projects and builds on efforts in the government’s Energy Security Strategy to make sure the country is building the infrastructure it needs faster than before.

More than £750,000 has also today been awarded to 10 council-led projects to support innovation in ensuring the needs of local communities are reflected in the process.

Councils and local communities will continue to play a key role in the planning process, including by producing local impact reports that represent the views of residents and must be taken into account. Only suitable projects will go through the new fast track process.

  • The policy statement, including a full list of the local authority projects receiving funding, has been published.
  • The government intends to publish a full Action Plan, as well as consultation on the national policy statements and on further regulatory and guidance changes to improve the operation of the system, over the coming months. This will include more details about possible timeframes and how the process would work.
  • The funding for 10 council-led projects will go to councils in Somerset, Cumbria, Essex, Suffolk, Leicestershire, North Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, West Sussex and Norfolk:
    • Norfolk County Council are building a virtual system that will log information about local NSIPs including timelines, deadlines, contacts and meetings for other local authorities and applicants to see.
    • Cambridgeshire County Council and Suffolk County Council are each producing a centre of excellence, helping to capture and disseminate best practice – allowing other authorities to benefit from their considerable experience.
    • Selby District Council and North Yorkshire County Council are collaborating to develop a multi-disciplinary environmental framework which sets out the local authority requirements for submitting an NSIP application. These will be around landscape, biodiversity, environmental health and heritage. This framework will help to bring forward multiple NSIPs in one place and could be used by applicants, the council and the Planning Inspectorate at application and examination stages.
  • To accommodate parliamentary printing times, the amendments will be available for MPs to read when they return from recess on 5 September 2022.

Published 30 August 2022



Appointment of four members to the Civil Justice Council

The Lord Chancellor has appointed Dr Natalie Byrom, Kate Pasfield, John Sorabji, and James Walker as members of the Civil Justice Council for three years from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2025.

The CJC is a statutory advisory body established by the Civil Procedure Act 97.

The CJC brings together members of the judiciary, civil servants, legal professionals and others representative of the varied perspectives, sectoral interests, specialist and professional expertise found across the civil justice system.

The CJC has a statutory role in keeping the civil justice system under review. It advises the judiciary, government, and rule makers on the development of the civil justice system, especially how it can be more accessible, fair and efficient. It is empowered to make proposals for change and propose and undertake research.

Biographies:

Dr Natalie Byrom – Information Architecture and Econometrics CJC Member

Dr Natalie Byrom is Director of Research at The Legal Education Foundation and founding Director of their Justice Lab initiative. She sits on the Administrative Justice Council as a member of the steering group and is data advisor to the President of the Family Division’s Transparency Implementation Group. Between 2018 and 2020 she served as an Expert Advisor on Open Data to Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service, where she made a series of recommendations to improve data collection, architecture and governance in the context of the ongoing programme of digital court reform.

Kate Pasfield – Other areas of expertise relevant to civil justice CJC Member

Kate Pasfield is Director of Legal Aid Policy and Member Services for the Legal Aid Practitioners Group. She previously spent 17 years in private practice and the not-for-profit sector as a legal aid solicitor specialising in housing and community care work.

John Sorabji – Barrister Role CJC Member

Dr John Sorabji is a barrister at Nine St John Street Chambers and an associate professor within the law faculty at University College London (UCL). In 2021 he was appointed Legal Adviser to the Independent Review of the Human Rights Act. He has previously advised the Lord Chief Justice, Master of the Rolls and other senior members of the judiciary on various legal and constitutional matters. He is General Editor of The White Book.

James Walker – Small and medium size enterprises (SME) CJC Member

James Walker is Chief Executive of Rightly, an organisation which helps consumers manage and own their data footprint. He is also the founder and Chief Executive of JamDoughnut, an an App that assists consumers to save money. James is also a Non-Executive of Consumer Scotland. He is a Non-Executive Director advising the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman and the Collaboration Network and sits on the Consumer Panels for the Office of Road and Rail and the Civil Aviation Authority. He formally founded and grew Resolver, a free consumer tool to assist consumers in resolving complaints and disputes and built an online dispute resolution platform



Appointment of 2 legal members of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee

News story

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Ben Roe and Virginia Jones as legal members of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Ben Roe and Virginia Jones as legal members of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee (CPRC) for 3 years commencing 10 June 2022.

The CPRC is the statutory body that governs the practice and procedure to be followed in the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and the County Court.

The appointment of legal members of the CPRC are made by the Lord Chancellor Appointments after consulting the Master of the Rolls and the relevant professional body.

Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biographies

Ben Roe is a solicitor who is the Lead Knowledge Lawyer for Baker McKenzie’s Global Disputes and Compliance Group, responsible for knowledge management and training for litigation, arbitration and compliance lawyers. He is a member of the Association of Litigation Professional Support Lawyers and the Quality Assurance Board overseeing the Witness Intermediary Scheme.

Virginia Jones is the Head of Learning, Knowledge and Development at Stewarts Law, London. She is a solicitor with over ten years’ client-facing experience in general commercial disputes and a further ten in a ‘knowledge’ setting, helping to ensure civil disputes lawyers remain up to date on and able to apply current law, procedure and best practice. Virginia is also a committee member of the London Circuit Commercial Court Users Group.

Published 30 August 2022