Public record advisory body appoints Cardiff Commercial Law expert

A Cardiff Law professor has been appointed as a member of an advisory body on public records.

Phillip Johnson, who is a Professor of Commercial Law at the School of Law and Politics, has been announced as a new member of the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives (ACNRA).

ACNRA is an independent body that advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (currently The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden) on issues relating to access to public records and represents the public interest in deciding what records should be open or closed.

Professor Johnson researches legal history, intellectual property, and public law with particular interest in the history of policy development and the legislative process. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the European Law Institute. He has published numerous books and articles on law and legal political history.

Professor Johnson will join the following list of professionals on the board of ACNRA:

CHAIR: Sir Terence Etherton, Master of the Rolls.

DEPUTY CHAIR: Mr Trevor Woolley CB, non-executive Director, Oil and Pipelines Agency; formerly Director General, Ministry of Defence.

Lady Moira Andrews, Director, Praetor Legal Ltd and ADS Group Ltd; Visiting Research Fellow, King’s College London; former Government Legal Adviser.

Ms Hillary Bauer OBE, adviser on culture and heritage issues; formerly Head of International and Cultural Property Unit, Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Ms Liz Copper, BBC Senior Broadcast Journalist.

Ms Lesley Ferguson, Head of Archives and Engagement, Historic Environment Scotland.

Dr Helen Forde, historian and archivist; formerly board member of the Museums and Libraries Association, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Postal Museum; Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries.

Dr Peter Gooderham CMG, former Ambassador to the UN and WTO in Geneva.

Stephen Hawker, independent national security consultant; independent member of the Audit Committee of Manchester Metropolitan University.

Martin Howard, retired senior security official specialising in cyber and intelligence security policy and operations. Appointed Companion of the Bath (CB).

Leon Litvack, Professor of Victorian Studies at the Queen’s University of Belfast; specialist on Charles Dickens; board member of the Charles Dickens Museum; freelance broadcaster for the BBC.

Helene Pantelli, solicitor specialising in commercial law; ombudsman at the Financial Ombudsman.

David Rossington CB, former civil servant; Vice Chair and Treasurer of Stoll; Treasurer of Earth Trust; Trustee at the Oxfordshire Community Foundation; Trustee of Arts at the Old Fire Station.

Mr Michael Smyth CBE QC (Hon), Chairman, Glastry Advisory Partners; Member and DID Legal Services Board.

Ms Jeannette Strickland, independent archive and records consultant; formerly Head of Art, Archives and Records Management, Unilever.

Martin Uden CB, former Ambassador in Seoul; alma mater at Queen Mary University of London; Trustee of a Christian mission charity; Chairman of the British Korean Society; President of the British Korean War Veterans’ Society; published author.

Mr John Wood, solicitor; Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) Independent Member; former Charity Commission for England and Wales Legal Board Member and Board Consultant; formerly Herbert Smith Freehills, Partner, then Consultant.