New head of the Office for Judicial Complaints

Sheridan Greenland OBE has taken up her post as the Head of the Office for Judicial Complaints, the body responsible for investigating complaints about the conduct of the judiciary in England and Wales. Sheridan replaces Dale Simon.

The Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) was set up in April 2006, to consider and investigate complaints against judicial office holders. Reports are made to the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice jointly, under the arrangement established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

Sheridan Greenland said: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue the development of efficient, fair and transparent complaints handling processes. I am looking forward to meeting the challenges ahead and enabling the OJC to achieve the highest standards in which members of the public, the judiciary and ministers can have every confidence."

Having qualified as a barrister, Sheridan entered the Magistrates' Courts Service in 1984 initially as a legal adviser. By 1998 she acted as Clerk to the Justices. She has been seconded to both Her Majesty's Courts Service Inspectorate and the Lord Chancellor's Department. In 1999 she was appointed Justices' Chief Executive in Surrey, in 2005 receiving an OBE for services to the Magistrates' Courts Service.

When Her Majesty's Courts Service was created she was appointed Area Director for family work in London, subsequently becoming Director of the Care Proceedings Programme including responsibility for the Unified Family Service, then Deputy Director, Family Law and Justice within the Access to Justice Policy Directorate, which is part of the Ministry of Justice.