PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

THREE NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO
THE QC APPOINTMENTS SELECTION PANEL

Two new lay members and one new barrister member have been appointed to the QC Appointments Selection Panel.

Martin Mann QC is the new barrister member. He has been in Silk at the Chancery Bar since 1983 and sits as a deputy High Court Judge in the Chancery Division. He is joint Head of Chambers at XXIV Old Buildings.

The new lay members are Sir Alex Allan, who is currently the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests and has had a distinguished career at the highest levels of the Civil Service; and Quinton Quayle, a former British Ambassador to Thailand, and to Romania. Commenting on the appointments, Desmond Hudson, and Oliver Delany, the Directors of QC Appointments, said:
‘We are extremely pleased to welcome these three new members to the QC Appointments Selection Panel. All three are distinguished professionals in their respective fields and their knowledge and skills will reinforce the QC Appointments process. We look forward to another successful Silk round as we proceed with the 2013-14 competition.’

Notes to editors:
1. The full list of QC Selection Panel members for 2013-14 will be:
• Helen Pitcher (Chairman – appointed 2012, appointed lay member 2009)
• Sir Alex Allan (lay member – appointed 2013)
• Sir Colin Budd KCMG (lay member – appointed 2009)
• Sir Alistair Graham (lay member – appointed 2011)
• Sir Anthony May (retired senior judicial member – appointed 2012)
• Linda Lee (senior solicitor member – appointed 2011)
• Martin Mann QC (senior barrister member – appointed 2013)
• Frances Oldham QC (senior barrister member – appointed 2012)
• Quinton Quayle (lay member – appointed 2013)
• Razi Shah (senior solicitor member – appointed 2009)

The new appointments arise because Lord Carlile of Berriew CBE QC and Felicity Huston are standing down from the Selection Panel at the end of the 2012-13 competition.

2. The Selection Panel is made up of a retired senior judge, senior lawyers (including both barristers and solicitors) and distinguished lay (not legally qualified) people. The work of the Panel is shared equally between lay and legally qualified members. The Panel Chair is always a lay member. The appointments were made following open competition. The barrister member was recruited by means of advertisement among barristers. The lay
members were recruited by means of a public advertisement.

3. Martin Mann QC works from the Chambers at XXIV Old Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn in London. He was called to the Bar in 1968 and took Silk in 1983. He specialises in International and domestic litigation and arbitration, in the fields of commercial, civil fraud and asset tracing, company, financial services and structured investments, insolvency, trusts and business law. A substantial proportion of his practice involves cross border litigation.

4. Sir Alex Allan KCB has had a long career at the highest levels of the civil service, including as Principal Private Secretary (Chief of Staff) to the Prime Minister and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer; Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice; High Commissioner to Australia; and Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. He is
currently the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.

5. Quinton Quayle is a retired British Diplomat, He entered the Foreign Office in 1977. He served as British Ambassador to Romania from 2002 until 2006, after which he was concurrently appointed as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand and (nonresident) Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

6. For further information please contact the QC Appointments Secretariat on 020 7831 0020