Independent Monitoring Boards Of Prisons Immigration Removal Centres Short Term Holding Rooms
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the Rt Hon. Alex Chalk KC MP has announced the appointment of Elisabeth Davies as the National Chair of the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) for an initial term of 3 years. Her appointment will commence on 1 July 2023 and run until 30 June 2026.
IMBs provide statutory, independent oversight, monitoring the treatment and care of prisoners and detainees. They operate in prisons, young offender institutions, immigration removal centres, some short-term holding facilities and on flights for those being removed from the UK.
This appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
Biography
Elisabeth Davies has extensive experience of working across both charitable and public sectors, where she has specialised in the areas of dispute resolution and consumer protection.
In April 2020, she was appointed Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC), which oversees the work of the Legal Ombudsman.
Elisabeth holds a number of professional roles across organisations. She is the Chair of the Assurance and Appointments Committee of the General Pharmaceutical Council and a member of the Civil Justice Council. Alongside this she has been the Chair of the Prisoners Education Trust since the end of 2018. She is also the former Deputy Chair of Support Through Court, which assists people going through the court process without legal representation.
Previously, Elisabeth was the Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Quality Committee at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. She also served as a former Chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel, where she ensured regulators were able to consider