Law Commission appoints new joint Chief Executives

The Law Commission of England and Wales has appointed Joanna Otterburn and Stephanie Hack as joint Chief Executives.

Welcoming the appointment of the two new CEOs, who will operate under a job-sharing arrangement, Sir Nicholas Green, Chair of the Law Commission, said:

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Joanna Otterburn and Stephanie Hack as our joint Chief Executives. Joanna and Stephanie bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, from both their senior leadership positions in the civil service, and their backgrounds working in the legal profession.

“Having already worked together for several years in joint roles in the Ministry of Justice and Judicial Office, I am confident that the Law Commission will thrive under their leadership.”

Commenting on their appointment, Joanna and Stephanie said:

“We are honoured and delighted to be appointed joint Chief Executives of the Law Commission.

“We are both driven by the desire to deliver innovative, effective and high-quality services for the public. Having fair, modern, simple and cost-effective law is critical to that.

“We are looking forward to working with colleagues, the Chair and Commissioners, non-executives and external partners, and continuing to build the Commission’s reputation for world-leading law reform, delivering positive change that improves lives.”

Joanna Otterburn and Stephanie Hack

Joanna Otterburn and Stephanie Hack have been job sharing for six years in senior civil service roles in the Ministry of Justice and Judicial Office. Both qualified as lawyers before embarking on careers in the civil service. Most recently they have been Deputy Directors for Legal Support and Fees policy; prior to that they were Head of the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office and Deputy Directors for Judicial Communications and Library and Information Services.

Since qualifying as a solicitor, Joanna has been a Judicial Assistant in the Court of Appeal, Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the High Court and Senior Presiding Judge, and an adviser to the senior judiciary and government ministers on sensitive, challenging and innovative policies. Joanna was a magistrate in South East London prior to heading the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. She is originally from West Yorkshire and now lives in Greenwich, London.

Stephanie practised as a barrister in Australia before moving to the UK. She has worked in legal, policy and corporate roles, including at the Law Commission and as Private Secretary to the Lord Chief Justice. She holds a Masters in Public Policy from King’s College London.