Two appointments and a reappointment to the Civil Justice Council

The Lord Chancellor the Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP has appointed 2 new members to the Civil Justice Council and reappointed an existing member for a further 3 years.

The Council is a non-departmental public body which oversees the Civil Justice System and recommends reforms to government.

Diane Astin and Ian Karet have been appointed to the Civil Justice Council for 3 years.

Matthew Smerdon has been reappointed for a further 3 year term.

Diane was admitted as a solicitor in 1989 and has practiced in housing law, public law and asylum support. She has also provided training and consultancy within the voluntary and statutory sectors in various areas of social welfare law.

She has undertaken the roles of Head of Casework and Director at the Public Law Project and is currently a consultant solicitor with Scott-Moncrieff & Associates in the public law unit and a senior lecturer and Director of the Student Law Clinic at Westminster University.

Ian is a Solicitor Advocate (Civil) and heads the intellectual property practice at Linklaters LLP. He has been Deputy Reporter General of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) and is a Vice President of AIPPI UK. He is a co-opted member of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and has been an elected member of his firm’s International Board.