Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister Claire Sugden has appointed Mark Orr QC as Presiding Member to the Civil Legal Services Appeal Panels.

Appointees to the role must be a solicitor or barrister of at least seven years’ standing.

Mr Orr lives in Co Down and is one of only three Queen’s Counsel in Northern Ireland who is also a Senior Counsel in Ireland.

He was called to the Bar in 1980 and his experience includes Chancery, Commercial and judicial review.

Mr Orr’s previous appointments include chairman of the Legal Aid Appeal Committee, director of Northern Ireland Memorial Fund and member of the Insolvency Rules Committee. He is currently the chair of the Board of Governors of Banbridge Academy.

The Legal Services Agency is empowered to grant or refuse Civil Legal Services and there is a right of appeal against those decisions.

A new independent appeals mechanism was established on 1 April 2015 and the Department of Justice appointed a pool of suitably qualified persons, from a range of professional backgrounds, from which Appeal Panels were drawn.