The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport appoints the members of the Advisory Council.
As an advisory non-departmental public body, the Advisory Council adheres to the Code of Practice set out by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Members 2024
CHAIR: Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls
DEPUTY CHAIR: David Rossington CB, former civil servant; Vice Chair and Treasurer of Stoll; Treasurer of the Oxfordshire Community Foundation; Treasurer of Arts at the Old Fire Station; Trustee of UK Community Foundation
Lady Moira Andrews, Director, Praetor Legal Ltd, ADS Group Ltd and Digi2al Ltd; Visiting Professor, King’s College London; former Government Legal Adviser
Ms Liz Copper, BBC Senior Broadcast Journalist
Dr Nigel Fletcher, Teaching Fellow in the Department of Political Economy at King’s College London; and co-founder of the Centre for Opposition Studies
Dr Helen Forde, historian and archivist; formerly board member of the Museums and Libraries Association
Dr Peter Gooderham CMG, former Ambadassor to the UN and WTO in Geneva
Kate Grimley Evans, a solicitor specialising in Data Protection and Freedom of Information and Managing Director of her own company, specialising in information law training and compliance audit
Stephen Hawker, a former senior security and intelligence official; independent member of the Audit Committee of Manchester Metropolitan University
Martin Howard, retired senior security official specialising in cyber and intelligence security policy and operations. Appointed Companion of the Bath (CB)
Phillip Johnson, barrister; Professor of Commercial Law at Cardiff University; published numerous books and articles on law and legal political history
Leon Litvack, Deputy Chair of the Forum, Professor of Victorian Studies at the Queen’s University of Belfast; specialist on Charles Dickens; board member of the Charles Dickens Museum; board member of National Museums Northern Ireland; freelance broadcaster for the BBC
Sir David Natzler, Assistant Boundary Commissioner; and retired Clerk of the House of Commons
Helene Pantelli, solicitor specialising in commercial law; ombudsman at the Financial Ombudsman
Jonathan Scherbel-Ball, Barrister at 5RB; and member of the Attorney General’s ‘B’ Panel of Counsel
Martin Uden CB, former Ambassador in Seoul; International Partnerships Adviser at Queen Mary University of London; Trustee of a Christian mission charity; Chairman of the British Korean Society; President of the British Korean War Veterans’ Society; published author
Mr John Wood, solicitor; former Charity Commission for England and Wales Legal Board Member and Board Consultant; formerly Herbert Smith Freehills, Partner, then Consultant
(last updated February 2024)
Members of the Advisory Council are required to disclose interests they or close family members have, which might influence their judgment or which could be perceived to do so by a reasonable member of the public. See the register of interests for more information.