The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed the appointment of Richard Blakeway to the post of chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) after an open competition.
The appointment follows Blakeway’s appearance before the Justice Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny last month, and has been approved by Sarah Sackman, the minister of state for justice.
Catherine Brown, who chaired the OLC Chair recruitment panel on behalf of the LSB, said: “We are pleased to confirm Richard’s appointment as chair of the Office for Legal Complaints. The LSB has tasked him with overseeing the transformation of the Legal Ombudsman Scheme to ensure it delivers effective, efficient redress for consumers and uses the intelligence it gathers to drive up standards across the legal sector.
“Richard brings a strong track record of driving meaningful change in ombudsman services, and we are confident he has the vision and experience to lead the OLC into its next chapter.”
Blakeway succeeds Elizabeth Davies, whose six-year term of office as chair of the OLC ended on 31 March 2026.
Paying tribute to Davies, Brown added: “She took up the role at an extraordinarily challenging time, as the Covid-19 pandemic created significant pressures for the organisation and the wider sector.
“Throughout her tenure, Elisabeth has been a consistent and effective advocate for raising standards. We wish her well for the future.”
Blakeway said of his appointment: “Ombudsman services make a massive difference to lives every day. And their impact can go far wider than individual cases.
“The Legal Ombudsman is central to building trust and confidence in legal services.
“I am excited to be joining the OLC as its new chair at such an important moment in the Legal Ombudsman’s development. The service needs to transform in response to new challenges and ensure it has a wider impact by sharing insights across the legal sector to raise standards and strengthen complaint handling.
“I want to build on the strong progress already made. The commitment and professionalism I’ve already seen across the organisation gives me real confidence about what we can achieve.”
The LSB has also confirmed the appointment of Owen Purcell to OLC. Patricia Tueje stepped down in February after the end of her first term.
