Public appointment: One lawyer member and three non-lawyer members appointed to Scottish Legal Complaints Commission board

The Minister for Community Safety today announced the appointment of Shareen Gault as a lawyer member, and Gerrar (Ged) Bell, Denise Emslie and Inonge Siluka as non-lawyer members of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission board.

Members

Shareen Gault is Global General Counsel at Insights Group where she leads the legal and risk function. With over 20 years' experience, she has held senior legal leadership roles across professional services, energy and financial services sectors with a mix of public and private sector experience. Shareen is dual-qualified in Scots and English law and has built high-performing legal teams and driven organisational transformation through pragmatic legal strategy and innovation.

Gerrard (Ged) Bell is a digital transformation professional with experience of operating at board-level. He has led digital programmes that have transformed services in the Scottish public sector. He is a past chair of the Society for Innovation, Technology and Modernisation (SOCITM). Ged is currently a board member of Dundee and Angus College, with board responsibilities include digital and cyber security. He was previously Head of IT in Dundee City Council. During this time, the city received international awards and recognition for transformation programmes. Ged is also a director of the Dundee United Supporters' Foundation, an independent organisation that has raised over £1M. They delivered a £0.5M academy project and support local community and charity initiatives.

Denise Emslie is a Chartered Accountant (ICAS) with 25 years’ experience across the education, public, media, property and recruitment sectors. Denise brings extensive expertise in governance, audit, risk management and the stewardship of public funds. Her career includes senior roles spanning finance, IT governance, procurement and organisational change, with significant experience supporting and reporting to boards. Denise has worked closely with auditors, regulators and funding bodies, providing independent challenge and sound judgement in complex, regulated environments. Denise has particular strengths in audit and risk assurance, regulatory compliance, and effective scrutiny. Denise is committed to integrity, transparency and fairness, with a strong focus on strengthening public confidence, consumer protection and access to justice.

Inonge Siluka is a Development Specialist at Macmillan Cancer Support, leading service improvement work to strengthen how support is delivered for people living with cancer. She has a background in frontline advice services, including welfare rights and generalist advice at Citizens Advice, supporting people to navigate complex systems, access financial support and challenge decisions. She is also the founder of a charity focused on safeguarding and access to justice, working across the UK and Zambia, where she has led strategy, partnerships and organisational development. Inonge serves as a board member with Board Racial Diversity UK, supporting work to increase the representation of Black and Asian people on charity and public sector boards. She brings experience in leading change and improving systems, contributing to board governance and organisational development, and working within advice services on complex and sensitive issues.

Appointment

Ged Bell’s appointment will be for 5 years and 9 months, and will run from 1 April 2026 until 31 January 2032.

Shareen Gault’s and Denise Emslie’s appointments will be for 5 years and 1 month, and will run from 1 January 2027 until 31 January 2032.

Inonge Siluka’s appointment will be for 6 years and 1 month, and will run from 1 January 2027 until 31 January 2033.

These appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

These appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £238 per day for a time commitment of 2 days per month.

Other ministerial appointments

Shareen Gault, Ged Bell, Denise Emslie and Inonge Siluka do not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity 

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.   

Shareen Gault, Ged Bell, Denise Emslie and Inonge Siluka have had no political activity within the last five years. 

Background

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) is an independent statutory body providing a single point of contact for all complaints against legal practitioners operating in Scotland. The SLCC investigate and resolve complaints about inadequate professional services; refer conduct complaints to the relevant professional body and have oversight of complaint handling across the profession.

The SLCC operates independently of the legal profession and government and aims to resolve complaints early, efficiently and effectively and to improve complaints handling across the profession. Through this work we aim to improve trust and confidence in Scottish legal services.

There is a strong focus on early resolution, resolving cases without using formal investigative or determination powers.  A significant majority of cases are resolved after conciliation work by the SLCC lets the parties resolve the matter consensually, or through mediation.