A long-serving Ministry of Justice official has been appointed as the new chief executive of HM Courts and Tribunal Service.

Nick Goodwin – currently chief executive of the office of the public guardian, an executive agency sponsored by the MoJ – will take up the post next month, when acting chief executive Kevin Sadler retires.

Goodwin was the MoJ’s director for access to justice policy until 2019, when he became the public guardian, and has worked within the department since 2009, including as director of judicial policy, pay and pensions between 2014 and 2016.

Nick Goodwin

Nick Goodwin will take up the post next month

Source: MoJ

MoJ permanent secretary Antonia Romeo described Goodwin as ‘a talented public servant with valuable MoJ and agency experience’, adding that he would ‘continue to deliver our ambitious court reform programme and ensure we remain on track in our pandemic recovery’.

HMCTS chairman Tim Parker said: ‘Having spent the majority of his career working in justice, often working closely alongside HMCTS colleagues, Nick’s experience and knowledge means he is perfectly placed to help us continue to address the challenges that we face while building for the future and delivering our programme of transformational reform.’

Goodwin said he was ‘delighted’ with his appointment, adding that ‘HMCTS is successfully tackling the backlog which has built up during the pandemic and making the most of the opportunity to transform the justice system’.

He will take up his new role on 14 March, with Sadler remaining as interim chief executive until 25 March to ensure a full handover, the MoJ said.