Helen Pitcher

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Helen Pitcher KC OBE (born March 1958) [1] is a British lawyer and businesswoman, who served as chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission from 2018 to 2025, and chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission from 2023 to 2025.

A former Queen's Counsel, [2] Pitcher chaired the Queen's Counsel Selection Panel from 2009 to 2017. [3] She was also appointed a Director of Advanced Boardroom Excellence Limited in 2013. [1] Pitcher was first appointed as chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission in September 2018, beginning a three-year term in the post from 1 November. [4] She was then reappointed for a further five-year term in 2021. [5] In November 2022, she was appointed as chair of the Judicial Appointments Committee, [2] taking up the role on 1 January 2023. She was due to serve a three-year term that would have ended on 31 December 2025. [6]

On 14 January 2025, she announced that she was resigning from the post of chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission following criticism from the UK government regarding her tenure in charge of the commission, and moves to have her removed from the post. [7]

She was appointed an OBE in the 2015 Birthday Honours for her services to business. [8]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Helen PITCHER personal appointments". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 Fouzder, Monidipa (28 November 2022). "Former QC selection chief in line to lead judicial appointments". Law Gazette. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "Preferred candidate for Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission". GOV.UK. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  4. ↑ "Appointment of the Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission". GOV.UK. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  5. ↑ "Reappointment of the Chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission". GOV.UK. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "New Chair of Judicial Appointments Commission appointed". GOV.UK. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Casciani, Dominic (14 January 2025). "Chair of miscarriages of justice review body quits". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Helen PITCHER: Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2025.


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