Law Society candidate bound for The Hague in exciting legal aid role

12 March 2010

A former Law Society president has been chosen, amid stiff competition, as a legal aid commissioner before the International Criminal Court.

The Society put Andrew Holroyd forward for the position, for which he was chosen from a pool of 25 impressive applicants, following a rigorous selection procedure.

He will make up a panel of three lawyers who will look at applications for legal aid at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Andrew, who served as president in 2008, was awarded an OBE for services to publicly funded legal work in Liverpool in 2003, followed by a CBE for services to the administration of justice in 2008.

A fellow panel member, Waheed Ahmad also has previous links to the Law Society having worked on a legal assistance project set up in Pakistan in May 2006, his candidature presented by the International Association of Young Lawyers.

Andrew's mandate is to provide the Registrar with advice on management of funds allocated by the Assembly of States parties to legal assistance paid by the Court. The panel will also evaluate the performance of the legal aid system.

Law Society president Robert Heslett says:

"This is another impressive achievement for Andrew Holroyd and we are of course very pleased that a Law Society candidate has been chosen for this venerable position. Andrew's background and dedication to legal aid made him an obvious choice for this role."

"There is no doubt as to the importance of the work carried out by legal aid commissioners, who often help the most disadvantaged members of society achieve justice. We wish Andrew and the panel every success during their tenure at The Hague."

The three candidates are to serve as legal aid commissioners for a non renewable term of three years.