The webinar will explore how the COVID pandemic and its consequences have impacted upon public bodies in terms of availability of information, effects upon accountability and transparency of decision making. It will discuss the lessons of that experience during pandemic and the implications for a culture of openness in those bodies post-pandemic.
The COVID pandemic has had an unprecedented effect on every aspect of public, private and third sector organisational activity. Nothing has been left untouched. Accountability, information and openness has been affected both formally – by, for example, the emergency changes to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 enacted temporarily during 2020 – and informally as public bodies have refocussed staff and priorities towards addressing COVID.
What have been the effects of measures intended to be temporary, both formal and informal, now enacted for a prolonged period? What are the implications for accountability of the altered relationship between service providers and citizens, from sustaining pro-active engagement through to addressing complaints and the consequences of dissatisfaction? Will a sustained period of emergency practice in openness reshape culture, practice and the shape of public sector bodies in the longer term?
Daren Fitzhenry will outline what have we learned about accessing information during COVID and beyond. Rosemary Agnew will discuss the consequences and implications for accountability from a complaints handling perspective. Lynda Towers will reflect on openness and decision making and whether public bodies are being reshaped by pandemic.
Key points
Former Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and Scottish Information Commissioner
Scottish Information Commissioner
Chief Executive
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
Director of Public Law
Morton Fraser
Rosemary Agnew
Former Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and Scottish Information Commissioner
Rosemary Agnew took up the post of Scottish Public Services Ombudsman on 1 May 2017, leaving office in 2025. 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's career has seen a committment to transparent, sustainable improvement in Scottish public services - most recently seeing complaints and what is learned from them as an integral part of the improvement landscape.
Daren Fitzhenry
Scottish Information Commissioner
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.
Neil Stevenson
Chief Executive
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
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 Towers
Director of Public Law
Morton Fraser
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.
