The Appointments Committee of Southwark Council met on Wednesday 22 July 2026. The primary item on the agenda was the appointment of a new Director of Law and Governance.

Appointment of a Director of Law and Governance

The committee was scheduled to consider the appointment of a new Director of Law and Governance. This role is a senior leadership position within the council, responsible for overseeing legal services, local democracy, elections, registration, and governance. The Director also holds the statutory duty of the monitoring officer, which involves intervening in cases of unlawful action or maladministration and maintaining the standards regime for councillors.

The report pack indicated that the council had engaged an executive search firm, Ransley Boardman, to assist in the recruitment process. Advertisements for the vacancy were published in May 2026, with a closing date for applications in June. A longlisting meeting, attended by senior officers including Chief Executive Althea Loderick and Director of People and Organisational Development Ben Plant, identified candidates for technical interviews. These interviews were conducted by Dawn Carter-McDonald, Chief Executive at Hackney Council. Subsequently, a shortlisting meeting, which included Councillor James McAsh (Leader of the Council) and Councillor Sarah King (Leader of the Opposition), reviewed the technical interview outcomes and selected four candidates to proceed to an interview with the Appointments Committee.

The report pack outlined recommendations for the committee to:

• Select a preferred candidate for the Director of Law and Governance position.
• Designate the preferred candidate as the council's monitoring officer.
• Note that the offered salary would be within the range of £119,553 to £150,333, in line with the council's pay policy statement for 2026/27.

The report also detailed the community impact of the role, highlighting its importance in promoting public confidence through ensuring lawful decisions and upholding councillor standards. It also addressed the council's duties under the Equality Act 2010, stating that the Director would be responsible for promoting compliance with the Act's provisions regarding discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity, and fostering good relations between different groups. No significant health, climate change, or direct financial implications were identified.