Rosemary Agnew took up the post of Scottish Public Services Ombudsman on 1 May 2017. Immediately prior to this she was the Scottish Information Commissioner (2012-2017).

Since 2001, Rosemary has held various roles in relation to public sector complaints, including with the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and the Local Government Ombudsman in the UK.

Rosemary is committed to transparent, sustainable improvement in Scottish public services. She sees complaints and what is learned from them as an integral part of the improvement landscape. Equally, she recognises the importance of being the final stage of the complaints process in Scotland for most public services and in ensuring that, where things go wrong for individuals, action is taken to put them right as far as possible.

Daren Fitzhenry took up post as Scottish Information Commissioner in October 2017, for a fixed term of six years. Prior to his current role, he was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force Legal Branch, heading up its legal advisory team, with wide-ranging experience in the development, implementation and enforcement of regulatory systems.

As Scottish Information Commissioner, Daren is responsible for the enforcement and promotion of Scotland’s freedom of information laws. This includes handling appeals about the way in which Scottish public authorities respond to information requests, promoting good practice and monitoring and assessing FOI performance.

He is strongly committed to the principles of freedom of information, recognising the significant benefits that FOI brings to society, not least its key role in enabling the public's participation and engagement in the issues which really matter to them.

Background

Neil's previous background combines significant experience of regulation and complaints, and of the Scottish legal services market.

Neil sat on the Council of the Advertising Standards Authority for six years, involved in both the governance of the organisation and in adjudication on complaints within the £20 billion UK advertising industry. He was the Senior Independent Director and Chair of their Audit and Risk Committee.

Prior to this he had been appointed by the Privy Council to sit on the General Dental Council, the regulatory and complaints body for 104,000 dental professionals in the UK. He served two four-year terms on the Board as well as chairing the Remuneration Committee.

Previously Neil worked with the Law Society of Scotland for 11 years, latterly as their Director of Representation and Professional Support. He has held several other Executive and Non-Executive Director roles in organisations and charities spanning the legal sector, healthcare, consultancy, and oil and gas.

He holds a Law degree from Edinburgh University and a Masters in Quality Management from Birmingham University.

Current appointments

Neil currently sits as a non-executive director on the Standards and Regulation Board of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The Board sets the standards for over 130,000 members and candidates operating in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure across more than 140 countries globally.

Neil is also Chair of Norton Park, a charity and social enterprise which owns property in Edinburgh and runs this as a business hub for charities (with around 20 tenants) and as a third sector conference centre. He is Chair of Albion Equity Ltd., a property ownership company which is part of the Norton Park group.

Lynda is director of public law within our Litigation division based in Edinburgh.

Lynda has spent most of her career with the Scottish Government, advising on public law issues. She has been involved in instructing and drafting legislation and has had considerable experience in public sector litigation in courts in Scotland and across the UK. She specialised in judicial review challenges, planning and other statutory appeals and in general reparation.

Lynda spent 8 years as Solicitor to the Scottish Parliament where she advised the Presiding Officer, the Chief Executive and the Committees of the Parliament on matters of legislative competence and on wider issues of public law. Lynda has a significant breadth of understanding of public and constitutional law issues in Scotland, of related litigation and of the policy and process surrounding law and decision making.