The runners and riders competing to become the next chair of the House of Commons justice select committee have been revealed following Andy Slaughter's move to the Attorney General's Office to become solicitor-general.
Parliament confirmed yesterday that Labour MPs Catherine Atkinson (Derby North), Mary Creagh (Coventry East), Janet Daby (Lewisham East) and Sarah Russell (Congleton) have been nominated to lead the cross-party group of MPs tasked with examining the Ministry of Justice’s policies and spending. The successful candidate will be announced next Monday afternoon.
Atkinson was a barrister for 17 years and has the backing of former committee chief Sir Bob Neill. In her supporting statement, she said she wanted to be a barrister from childhood ‘but soon realised much in our justice system didn’t work and the way to change it wasn’t through our courts but through politics’.
She added: ‘I know colleagues across parliament see the impact on our constituents when our justice system fails. My commitment is to improving justice, and I would bring an independent, evidence-led and cross-party approach to the role.’
Creagh said: ‘I am concerned by the huge backlog of cases that have built up across the justice system, and trial delays, creating a record remand population and prison overcrowding. Funding cuts, lack of access to legal advice for family and civil cases, and lengthy waits for trial leave people without access to the law. I believe that constructive challenges from this cross-party committee can lead the debate about how government tackles these issues.’
Daby said her MSc in criminal justice policy has given her a ‘rigorous analytical grounding in how justice systems are designed and where they so often fall short. But it was my early career experience in probation and young offenders service that brought those lessons to life’.
‘Working directly with people caught up in the justice system, and as a Children and Families Social Worker, I saw first-hand the importance of early intervention and care plans, as well as the profound human cost of systemic failure. That experience has never left me, and it continues to shape how I approach the justice issues I encounter,’ Daby said.
Employment solicitor Russell, who has a current practising certificate, said: ‘Government has created many additional rights and responsibilities since 2024 that should benefit people. But without meaningful enforcement mechanisms, they risk creating false hope of change, whilst simultaneously engendering deep resentment from those who do comply, when others visibly don’t. The rule of law is a fundamental pillar of our society, and I want the work of the committee to support it.’
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