Alex Chalk KC was appointed lord chancellor and justice secretary following Dominic Raab’s resignation on 21 April 2023 in the wake of a report by Fountain Court Chambers’ Adam Tolley KC, published the previous day, on investigations into allegations of bullying. The report covers complaints from Raab’s first stint at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) as well as his time at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU). Although exonerated regarding the DExEU complaint and an initial MoJ group complaint, findings on the FCDO complaint and an additional group of MoJ complaints were that he had, on several occasions, acted in an intimidating or insulting manner and his conduct had been experienced as undermining or humiliating.

Chalk was previously a minister of state at the Ministry of Defence, but had earlier been a parliamentary under secretary at the MoJ with responsibility for legal aid (February 2020 to September 2021) and solicitor general (September 2021 to July 2022). The MP for Cheltenham was also a member of the House of Commons Justice Committee from July 2015 to May 2017, and has chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pro Bono.

LAG CEO Sue James said: ‘We welcome the news that Alex Chalk has been appointed justice secretary. He inherits a justice system on the brink of collapse. It needs care. It needs the attention that has been lacking from previous ministers – but most of all it needs funding. We look forward to working with him on making the change needed.’