Dr Brian Doherty

Dr Brian Doherty has been nominated for appointment as deputy police ombudsman in Fiosrú, which was formally established in April as part of Garda oversight reforms.

A former barrister, Dr Doherty was called to the Bar in Northern Ireland in 1996 and initially practised in Belfast.

He held roles with the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI) and the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) prior to his appointment at the LSRA.

Tom Boland, chair of the LSRA, said: “On behalf of the authority, I would like to thank Dr Doherty for the dedication, commitment and vision he has shown for the past eight years as CEO of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority.

“Brian was appointed as the LSRA’s first Chief Executive in September of 2017 and has overseen the establishment of the LSRA including significant expansion of the organisation’s regulatory work and staff numbers.

“Under his capable stewardship, the LSRA has successfully established a robust and independent complaints handling function, including the establishment of the independent Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

“Brian has driven the organisation’s ambitious reform agenda in the arena of legal practitioner education and training, working closely with stakeholders to improve access to and diversity within the legal professions.

“Brian has also led on the introduction of several innovations in the legal services market including legal partnerships as a new business model for legal services delivery.

“Brian has achieved so much in his eight years at the LSRA and will be sorely missed by staff, stakeholders and Authority members. I wish him well in his new role as the deputy police ombudsman with Fiosrú, the Police Ombudsman.”

The police ombudsman, Emily Logan, said: “I congratulate Brian on his nomination to the role of deputy police ombudsman.

“Brian brings a wealth of experience to Fiosrú, in particular his years of experience in policing oversight and latterly as CEO of the LSRA, from which the organisation will greatly benefit.

“[CEO] Sheila McClelland, our senior leadership team and myself offer Brian many congratulations on his nomination and look forward to working welcoming him to Fiosrú.”

• This article originally stated incorrectly that Dr Doherty had already left the LSRA. He will in fact leave in the coming months.