Law Commission welcomes new Non-Executive Board members
The Law Commission is pleased to announce that Claire Bassett, Dr Hannah White and Baroness Shaista Gohir will be joining the Commission as Non-Executive Board Members. The new appointees will be essential in supporting the Commission to continue delivering effective law reform over the next three years.
Hannah White and Claire Bassett were appointed on 27 September 2023 while Baroness Gohir will be succeeding Joshua Rozenberg KC from 1 March 2024.
Sir Nicholas Green, Chair of the Law Commission, said:
“I am delighted to welcome Claire Bassett, Dr Hannah White and Baroness Gohir as Non-Executive Board Members. All three appointments will bring with them a wide range of skills and experience which will be invaluable to the Commission.
“We are looking forward to incorporating their insight and perspectives into our work, making a difference to people’s lives by ensuring the law is modern, simple and effective.”
Claire Basset
Claire is Vice Chair of the Internet Watch Foundation, Interim Chair and Non-Executive Director of the Serious Fraud Office and a Non-Executive Director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Chartered Insurance Institute.
Until May 2022 she was Deputy Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Prior to this Claire was Chief Executive (Designate) of the Shadow Trade Remedies Authority, and Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission. Claire has also been Chief Executive at the Parole Board and the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Earlier in her career, Claire was a Director of Nacro and Chief Executive of Connexions Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. She also held various roles at the Legal Services Commission and began her career as a management trainee in the construction industry.
Clare Basset said:
“It’s a real privilege to be joining the Law Commission’s Board. I have seen the impact of its work first-hand through my career, and I am very much looking forward to being part of continuing this in the future.”
Dr Hannah White
Dr Hannah White is currently Director and Chief Executive of the Institute of Government, having previously led the secretariat for the Committee on Standards in Public Life (Cabinet Office), and held various senior roles in the House of Commons. She has a range of executive and non-executive board experience.
Hannah has a PhD in Human Geography. She started her career as a parliamentary clerk in the House of Commons, working on select and legislative committees and advising on parliamentary procedure.
Dr Hannah White said:
“I am honoured to join the board of the Law Commission as Non- Executive Board Member. I look forward to contributing to the Commission’s important law reform work, bringing to bear my experience of Parliament and Government.”
Baroness Shaista Gohir
Baroness Gohir has worked in the charity sector for nearly twenty years and is a leading women’s rights campaigner. She is the CEO of the national charity Muslim Women’s Network UK and, in 2022, was appointed to the House of Lords as a Crossbench Peer.
Shaista has served on various national and international advisory groups and boards and was previously a Non-Executive Director at the University Hospital North Midlands NHS Trust where she was the Maternity Safety Champion. She was also the Women’s Voices Lead at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Baroness Gohir said:
“The significance of the Law Commission’s work has never been more important than it is today, as it grapples with some of the most challenging aspects of law.
“I am pleased to be joining the Law Commission during this dynamic period, where I can make a valuable contribution, particularly through the lens of gender and minority rights, helping to shape its future strategy and aid in delivering outcomes that benefit the public.”
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