Out with the old, in with the old - new Information Commissioner named

Out with the old, in with the old - new Information Commissioner named

Christopher Graham, the director general of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), has been selected by the government to take over as Information Commissioner when Richard Thomas retires in June.

Following a "rigorous selection process", the Ministry of Justice said today that the Commons Justice Select Committee would be invited to hold a hearing to examine Graham's suitability for the £140,000-a-year post. "This is in line with proposals announced last year to increase democratic scrutiny of key public appointments," it said in a statement.

After the formalities, Graham will become the third Information Commissioner, after Thomas and Elizabeth France (Eric Howe was Data Protection Registrar from 1984 to 1994).

The ASA said today that Graham will continue as its director general until June, and that his own successor will be announced in due course.

* It's a pity that the Information Commissioners in Scotland and the rest of the UK are not elected by the people through a democratic process? Should FoI be regulated/controlled by quangos?

* Have your say - add a comment below.

Advertising Standards boss gets Information Commissioner nod: Experienced in toothless regulator operations (The Register, 13 January 2009)