*/
Profession
The Bar Council has appointed a new Chief Executive, following a two-year vacancy and a review of the role’s requirements. Former senior civil servant Stephen Crowne takes up the post on 3 June, bringing experience in both public and private sector leadership.
Most recently a senior director at technology giant Cisco, Cambridge-graduate Crowne was responsible for its global education programme. Prior to that he was Chief Executive of the British Educational Technology & Communications Agency (BECTA), the Government agency charged with promoting technology in learning, which was in the first tranche of quangos to be axed. At BECTA, he was responsible for advising the Government on strategy, driving improvement, and “value-for-money procurement” arrangements.
Previously, Crowne was a senior civil servant in the Department for Education, where he worked his way up the Ministry ladder and was principal private secretary to three Education Secretaries, culminating with a period as interim Director-General for Schools. In various roles he led on central Government intervention in failing local authorities, worked on overall schools funding strategy and programmes to raise standards. He was also the first Chief Executive of the Further Education Development Agency.
It would, Crowne said, be a “privilege” to help barristers, a “vital part of our justice system”, to “respond to very challenging times”. “I want to help secure the continuing integrity, excellence and success of the Bar, ensuring access to justice for all,” he added. The role has been vacant since the departure in May 2011 of David Hobart who became Chief Executive of the City of London Law Society.
Crowne will facilitate the operation of the Bar Council’s policy-making committees and support the Council in developing strategy and fulfilling its role as approved regulator. The Bar Council declined to disclose Crowne’s salary.
Most recently a senior director at technology giant Cisco, Cambridge-graduate Crowne was responsible for its global education programme. Prior to that he was Chief Executive of the British Educational Technology & Communications Agency (BECTA), the Government agency charged with promoting technology in learning, which was in the first tranche of quangos to be axed. At BECTA, he was responsible for advising the Government on strategy, driving improvement, and “value-for-money procurement” arrangements.
Previously, Crowne was a senior civil servant in the Department for Education, where he worked his way up the Ministry ladder and was principal private secretary to three Education Secretaries, culminating with a period as interim Director-General for Schools. In various roles he led on central Government intervention in failing local authorities, worked on overall schools funding strategy and programmes to raise standards. He was also the first Chief Executive of the Further Education Development Agency.
It would, Crowne said, be a “privilege” to help barristers, a “vital part of our justice system”, to “respond to very challenging times”. “I want to help secure the continuing integrity, excellence and success of the Bar, ensuring access to justice for all,” he added. The role has been vacant since the departure in May 2011 of David Hobart who became Chief Executive of the City of London Law Society.
Crowne will facilitate the operation of the Bar Council’s policy-making committees and support the Council in developing strategy and fulfilling its role as approved regulator. The Bar Council declined to disclose Crowne’s salary.
Profession
The Bar Council has appointed a new Chief Executive, following a two-year vacancy and a review of the role’s requirements. Former senior civil servant Stephen Crowne takes up the post on 3 June, bringing experience in both public and private sector leadership.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
A career shaped by advocacy beyond her practice, and the realities of living with an invisible disability – Dr Natasha Shotunde, Black Barristers’ Network Co-Founder and its Chair for seven years, reflects on a decade at the Bar
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse
