A barrister who recently served as a justice minister will lead a cross-party group of MPs in holding her former department to account, after winning the election to chair the Commons justice select committee.
Parliament confirmed yesterday that Labour’s Catherine Atkinson will succeed Andy Slaugher as justice committee chief following Slaughter’s move to the Attorney General’s Office to become solicitor-general.
Atkinson was a barrister for 17 years and had the backing of former Conservative committee chief Sir Bob Neill. She said: ‘I’m grateful to MPs from across the House of Commons for electing me to be chair of the Justice Select Committee. With courts, prisons, probation and access to justice all under real pressure, rigorous parliamentary scrutiny matters more than ever.
‘I look forward to working constructively with colleagues, listening to those with direct experience of the justice system and ensuring our work is led by evidence.’
Congratulating Atkinson, Law Society president Mark Evans said: ‘She brings extensive experience as a barrister to the role and has consistently been a powerful voice and advocate for our justice system in Parliament. The Law Society worked closely with Catherine during her time as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on legal and constitutional affairs and welcomed her work on the Hillsborough Law in parliament.’
Evans added: ‘The justice system is a crucial public service that for too long has been shaped by immediate pressures like court backlogs or prison overcrowding rather than long-term ambition, backed by planning and investment.
‘The committee provides a vital accountability mechanism and we will continue to support them in advocating for a whole system approach to funding and resourcing the justice system, the future of court reform and accessible legal aid. We look forward to working with the new chair.’
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