Golding: A return to the law
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to double the size of the leadership team under chief executive Sarah Rapson with the creation of four new director-level posts.
The expansion is part of Ms Rapson’s plan to turn around the regulator’s performance, as she laid out last month [1].
The new roles are aimed at supporting operational improvements, such as quicker decision-making timelines and better caseload management.
They cover supervision; risk, data and insight; external affairs and communications; and general counsel, risk and compliance.
The recruitment will be staggered over the coming months, with the general counsel role being advertised this month.
Further, the SRA announced the permanent appointment of Jonathan Peddie, who joined the SRA on an interim basis in September 2025 as executive director for investigations, enforcement and litigation.
He is a former partner at Baker McKenzie, global head of litigation, investigations, enforcement and financial crime at Barclays Bank, and deputy general counsel at Clifford Chance
In January, former City solicitor Deborah Jones was named to the new role [2] of executive director for transformation, having been seconded from the Payment Systems Regulator.
The other two executive directors in place are Aileen Armstrong (strategy and policy), whose role used to encompass external communications as well, and Liz Rosser (operations and resources).
Ms Rapson said: “I have been clear that the organisation must change if we are to become the regulator that the public and the sector deserves. We have a lot of work ahead of us to become a modern, proportionate regulator that is both trusted and effective.
“Establishing a simplified leadership structure and culture of empowerment will be crucial to achieving the scale of transformation needed.
“The changes we are making will provide greater capacity, renewed focus and more clarity, which in turn will improve the speed and quality of decision making across the organisation.”
Meanwhile, Phil Golding appointed director general of the Bar Standards Board (BSB). He will take up the role on 1 July, which has been covered in the interim by Steve Haines following Mark Neale’s retirement.
He has been chief executive at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners since October 2022 and before that was chief executive of the Law Commission.
He has held a number of roles in the Ministry of Justice, including head of the Senior Presiding Judge’s Office and senior operational leadership roles within HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
He said: “I am delighted to be returning to the legal sector, where I have spent the majority of my career.
“I look forward to supporting and helping the Bar Standards Board to be an effective and efficient regulator that delivers in the public interest. I am keen to prioritise building strong relationships with our stakeholders at what is an important time for the legal sector.”