Sir David Keene Appointed to Selection Panel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 09 MARCH 2010

PRESS RELEASE FROM BAR COUNCIL AND LAW SOCIETY ON APPOINTMENT
OF SIR DAVID KEENE TO QUEEN’S COUNSEL SELECTION PANEL

SIR DAVID KEENE APPOINTED TO QUEEN’S COUNSEL SELECTION PANEL

Sir David Keene, a retired Lord Justice of Appeal, has been appointed to the Queen’s Counsel Selection Panel, replacing Sir Paul Kennedy, as the judicial member of the independent panel, which assesses applicants for the position of Queen’s Counsel. The award of Queen’s Counsel is given to those who demonstrate excellence in advocacy in the higher courts, following objective assessment by the Panel.

The selection panel is independent, and also includes lay members, as well as senior barristers and solicitors. The judicial member of the Queen’s Counsel Selection Panel must be a retired senior judge. He is appointed by the Chairman of the Bar and the President of the Law Society jointly, after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice.
Sir David Keene was called to the Bar in 1964 by the Inner Temple, of which he later became a bencher and, in 2006, the Treasurer. He became a Q.C. in 1980 and a Recorder in 1989. He practised mainly in public law cases and at planning inquiries, obtaining planning permission for a number of large projects including London City Airport, a second runway at Manchester Airport and several large regional shopping centres, including Blue Water Park in Kent and the Trafford Centre in Manchester. He was Chairman of the Planning Bar Association in 1994. In
that same year, he became a High Court judge, QBD, in which capacity he sat also in the Administrative Court and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. In 2000, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal, from which he retired in 2009.

As well as serving on the Court of Appeal, Sir David Keene has been Chairman of the Judicial Studies Board, responsible for the training of judges and magistrates in England and Wales, and Chairman of its Advisory Committee on Equal Treatment. He is also an Honorary Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford Commenting on the appointment, Des Hudson, the Chief Executive of the Law Society, and David Hobart, the Chief Executive of the Bar Council, said:

‘We are delighted that Sir David Keene has been appointed to the QC Appointments Selection Panel. With his distinguished career and broad range of experience, we believe his appointment will further strengthen the QC Appointments process. We look forward to another successful Silk round in 2010-11.’

– ENDS –

Notes to editors
1. Sir Paul Kennedy, a retired Lord Justice of Appeal, is standing down after participating in two Queen’s Counsel competitions; he served on the Panel between 2008 and 2010.
2. Other members of the Panel are:
Professor Dame Joan Higgins DBE (Chair – appointed 2009, appointed lay Panel member 2005)
Sir Colin Budd KCMG (lay member – appointed 2009)
Lord (Alex) Carlile of Berriew QC (senior barrister member – appointed 2009)
Helen Pitcher (lay member – appointed 2009)
Jean Ritchie QC (senior barrister member – appointed 2006)
Lucy Scott-Moncrieff (senior solicitor member – appointed 2005)
Razi Shah (senior solicitor member – appointed 2009)
Karamjit Singh CBE (lay member – appointed 2005)
The Selection Panel consists of nine members, including a retired senior judge, senior lawyers (both barristers and solicitors) and distinguished lay people.

The judicial member of the Queen’s Counsel Selection Panel must be a retired senior judge. He is appointed by the Chairman of the Bar and the President of the Law Society jointly, after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice.
3. Sir David Keene was called to the Bar in 1964 and became a QC in 1980 and a Recorder in 1989. He practised mainly in public law cases and at planning inquiries, obtaining planning permission for a number of large projects including London City Airport, a second runway at Manchester Airport and several large regional shopping centres, including Blue Water Park in Kent and the Trafford Centre in Manchester. He was Chairman of the Planning Bar Association in 1994.

In 1994 he became a High Court judge, QBD, in which capacity he sat also in the Administrative Court and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. In 2000, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal, from which he retired in 2009. From 2003 to 2007 he was Chairman of the Judicial Studies Board, responsible for the training of judges and magistrates in England and Wales. He was for some years the U.K. Chairman of the Franco-British Judicial Co-operation Committee. He holds an Hon. LL.D from Brunel University, is an Honorary Fellow of the Society of
Advanced Legal Studies and is a member of the Board of the School of Advanced Studies, University of London.

4. For further information please contact the Law Society Press Office on 0207 320 5902.