Authority Members
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority is an independent body established under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015. The Authority’s members are appointed by the government following a nomination process designed to ensure the independence of the Authority.
About the Authority
The Authority is comprised of eleven members who are appointed by the Government following nomination by ten bodies. The nomination process is designed to ensure the independence of the Authority. It also ensures a balance of interests between legal practitioners and consumers who avail of their services.
The Authority is required by law to be independent in the performance of its functions. Authority members are required to protect and promote the public interest. They are nominees and not representatives of the nominating bodies.
In total, six members of the Authority are lay people – that is they are not practicing as solicitors or barristers. This includes the Authority’s chairperson.
Nominating Bodies
The six lay members are nominated by the following bodies:
- the Citizens Information Board;
- the Higher Education Authority;
- the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission;
- the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission;
- the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants; and
- the Consumers’ Association of Ireland.
Of the five non-lay members one is nominated by the Bar of Ireland, one is a solicitor nominated by the Legal Aid Board, one member is nominated by the Honorable Society of King’s Inns and two are nominated by the Law Society.
Authority Member Profiles and Nominating Bodies
Tom Boland
Higher Education Authority
Tom Boland is currently joint Managing Partner in BH Associates, Education Consultants. For 12 years up to August 2016 he was Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority. In the previous 10 years he served as Legal Adviser and Director of Strategic Policy in the Department of Education. He holds degrees in civil engineering and law and was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1989. He was awarded a Doctorate in Education (Hon. Causa) by the National University of Ireland in 2017.
Mr. Boland currently chairs the Board of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and is a member of the Quality Committee of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He has previously held board positions in the Denham Fellowship, Science Foundation Ireland, the Fulbright Commission, the Medical and Health Sciences Board (RCSI), chaired the boards of Benefacts and HeaNet and was a vice president of the OECD sub-committee on higher education.
Shane Galligan
Institute of Legal Costs Accountants
Shane Galligan is a partner with Behan & Associates, Legal Costs Accountants, a fellow of the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants, Chair of the Education Committee and, since 2012, a member of the six-person Governing Council of the Institute.
He is also member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an Accredited Mediator (CIArb).
Sarah Moorhead SC
Bar of Ireland
Sara Moorhead is a Senior Counsel and a Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) Accredited Mediator. She is primarily a trial lawyer/courtroom advocate. She has extensive expertise in the areas of Judicial Review, Personal Injuries, Administrative and Contract Law, Medical Negligence, Professional Negligence, Insurance Law, non-Jury, Asylum and Immigration law. She has represented the Government in proceedings before the European Court of Justice. She has also advised the Office of the Parliamentary Legal Adviser and acted as Legal Counsel in a number of Tribunals of Inquiry
Simon Murphy
Law Society of Ireland
Simon Murphy is a partner in JRAP O’Meara LLP Solicitors in Cork. He is a qualified Arbitrator and Mediator. He has previously chaired the main Law Society of Ireland Regulatory Committees and currently holds a number of regulatory roles across various professions.
Simon served as an elected member of the Council of the Law Society of Ireland for many years and was President of the Law Society of Ireland in 2015-2016. He is also a former president of the Southern Law Association.
Síona Ryan
Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
Síona Ryan is the Director of Policy, Research and International at the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission charged with influencing policy development, promoting competition and advocating for the interests of consumers. She has extensive public policy experience operating across Irish, European and international institutions and holds both an MA in International Relations and an MA in Law.