Appointment of Commissioners to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has announced the appointment of seven Commissioners to the newly established Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery
Sir Declan Morgan and Peter Sheridan, who were both identified and announced earlier this year, have been formally appointed to the roles of Chief Commissioner and Commissioner for Investigations respectively following commencement of the provisions of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 that establish the Commission.
Following an open competition chaired by Sir Declan, the Secretary of State has, on Sir Declan’s recommendation, appointed the following individuals to be Non-Executive Commissioners of the newly established Commission:
- Lindsay Todd as Lead Non-Executive Commissioner
- Kathleen Russ as Non-Executive Commissioner
- Rogelio Alonso as Non-Executive Commissioner
- Brice Dickson as Non-Executive Commissioner
Biographies
Lindsay Todd has substantial governance, finance and management experience, gained across the private, public and third sectors, including almost 25 years as an equity partner in PwC, where he held several leadership roles. He is Chair of the Northern Ireland Teachers Pension Scheme Board among other roles.
Kathleen Russ is a former Executive Chair of the law firm Travers Smith. She currently sits as a council member of JUSTICE, a human rights charity.
Rogelio Alonso is a Spanish academic with expertise in terrorism and security. He has lectured on Northern Ireland politics at the University of Ulster and held various fellowships at the Institute of Irish Studies and the Institute of Governance at Queen’s University Belfast.
Brice Dickson is Emeritus Professor of Law with expertise in human rights law. He has taught at both Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast. He was the first Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and has also served on the Policing Board.
Terms of Appointment of Non-Executive Commissioners
- These positions are part-time for a duration of three or four years.
- The Lead Non-Executive Commissioner position attracts a fixed remuneration of £20,000 per annum for a commitment of approximately 25 days per year. The other Non-Executive Commissioner positions attract a fixed remuneration of £15,000 per annum for a commitment of approximately 20 days per year.
- The positions are not pensionable.
Regulation
The non-executive appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Political Activity
Non-Executive Commissioners are appointed on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.
Brice Dickson has declared membership of the Alliance Party and that he is currently serving as Secretary of the South Belfast Association and as Chair of the Party’s Administration and Finance Committee.
The other Non-Executive Commissioners have not declared any political activity in the last five years.
Remaining appointments
Work by the ICRIR to identify a Chief Executive Officer and accounting officer will begin next year. On the recommendation of Sir Declan Morgan, Tristan Pedelty has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer and accounting officer until the Board identifies a permanent office holder.