Press Release
Brian Harvey Honoured
Monday 19 June 2006
Brian Harvey, the Legal Services Commission’s (LSC) Acting Chief Executive, has been awarded an OBE for services to the Administration of Justice in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. This well deserved accolade is in recognition of Brian’s outstanding contribution during his 17 year career with the LSC and its predecessor, the Legal Aid Board.
Brian joined the Legal Aid Board as Director of Personnel in 1989, having previously held senior specialist and general management positions in the private sector. On joining the Legal Aid Board, Brian quickly proved to be a driving force in revolutionising the legal aid structure and processes it had inherited. During challenging times, Brian has shown strong leadership and has given support and good advice to colleagues. Within the LSC and legal aid stakeholders there are many people who have benefited directly from his invaluable common sense and experience, as well as his keen sense of humour.
Brian’s innovation, vision, and leadership qualities were never more to the fore than when he stepped into the Acting Chief Executive role last year. Brian has made and continues to make a very real difference for legal aid clients.
Commenting on his honour, Brian said:
“The award came as a complete surprise and I am delighted to receive it. I regard it as a tribute to all the hard work put in by people at the LSC at a time of great change. I am particularly pleased that this has happened when we have just achieved the highest number of people helped by civil legal aid since the LSC was set up.”
Congratulating Brian on his honour, the LSC’s Chair, Sir Michael Bichard, said:
“Brian has helped create the culture of this organisation and it is particularly appropriate that he should be honoured at a time when his years of work on developing the quality and value of legal aid services are about to come to fruition with the proposed launch of the Preferred Supplier scheme.
"I look forward to continuing to work with Brian as the LSC’s new Chief Executive is recruited and settles in.”
ENDS
Media information
Richard Shand Tel: 020 7759 0491
Notes to Editors
1. After joining the Legal Aid Board as Director of Personnel in 1989, Brian took on the role of Director of Resources and Supplier Development in April 1996. In June 2004, Brian took up the post of LSC Deputy Chief Executive and became Acting Chief Executive in June 2005 after Clare Dodgson, the LSC’s Chief Executive, was unable to return to work following a serious fall.
2. The LSC are currently advertising for a new Chief Executive, as Clare Dodgson will be leaving the LSC on 30 June 2006. Please see the LSC press release ‘Clare Dodgson to leave the Legal Services Commission’ (26 May 2006) available at www.legalservices.gov.uk/press/press_release75.asp for further information.
Last updated: 28 December 2006