The chief executive of the Law Society is to become the new First Civil Service Commissioner, in charge of making sure recruitment in the Civil Service is open and equal.
Janet Paraskeva will succeed Baroness Usha Prashar to become the senior official responsible for maintaining the principle of recruitment to the Civil Service on the basis of merit after fair and open competition.
Civil service commissioners are appointed by the Crown under Royal Prerogative and are independent of government and the Civil Service. They also hear and determine appeals from civil servants under the Civil Service Code.
“The commissioners’ work is a vital part of the country’s constitutional arrangements,” Paraskeva said. “I look forward to working with fellow commissioners and colleagues across government to uphold the core values of an effective and impartial Civil Service.”
