Commission appoints new Senior Decision Makers

In 2014, the Commission established a panel of Queen’s Counsel who sit as ‘Senior Decision Makers’ and determine the outcome of the Commission’s major enforcement cases.

A Senior Decision Maker, sitting alone, hears those cases involving findings of serious regulatory shortcomings against a licensee and/or individual directors and where those findings are contested. As part of the process Senior Decision Makers are also required to determine the sanctions that are to be imposed which will include the level of financial penalty, any period of prohibition from practising in the industry and the contents of any public statement that is issued by the Commission.

Within the past week, the Commission has made four new appointments to its panel as follows: -

•  Ms Catherine Gibaud QC
•  Mr Ben Hubble QC
•  Mr Richard Jones QC
•  Miss Alison Potter

Chairman of the Commission, Drs Cees Schrauwers said:

"These latest appointments were made following an extensive and open recruitment process. We were delighted with the considerable interest we received and with the very high calibre of all of the candidates who applied to be included on the panel."

Full details of the process can be found at https://www.gfsc.gg/commission/enforcement/decision-making-process

The effective strength of the Commission’s panel of Senior Decision Makers, chaired by Mr Michael Blair QC, has been reduced to four, following two judicial and one other full-time appointment. The panel currently comprises four Queen’s Counsel practising in England and Wales or in Scotland:

•   Mr Glen Davis QC
•   Dr Kirsty Hood QC
•   Mr Terence Mowschenson QC
•   Ms Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC