Former chief inspector of prisons to investigate UK police

Susan Newcombe
WVoN co-editor

A former chief inspector of prisons with a background in human rights has been appointed the new chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in the UK.

Dame Anne Owers will take up the role, following a stint as chief inspector of prisons from 2001 to 2010.

The appointment was announced by home secretary Theresa May who said Owers: “has considerable experience of criminal justice and a formidable public reputation”.

It is a critical time for the IPCC as it investigates the shooting of London man, Mark Duggan, which ignited last summer’s riots as well as alleged police corruption in the phone hacking scandal.

Owers had recently carried out an inquiry into the reorganisation of the Northern Ireland prison service, which she labelled “dysfunctional, demoralised and ineffective” in a report published last October and said by justice ministers to be a “watershed”.

Chief executive of the IPCC Jane Furniss said: “Dame Anne Owers’ experience of leading organisations based on independence could not be stronger.

“This, coupled with her wealth of knowledge from across the criminal justice system makes for an exciting new era for the IPCC.

“I welcome the appointment and very much look forward to working with her to build upon the last eight years and take the work of the IPCC forward”.

Owers was educated at Washington grammar school, County Durham, and at Girton college, Cambridge.

On graduating she went to Zambia to teach and to carry out research into African history. While taking time out to bring up her three children, Owers continued to undertake research as well as doing voluntary advice and race relations work.

She has previously held positions as director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and co-director of Justice, the UK based human rights and law reform organisation.