The chief executive of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has announced her resignation. The tribunal said today that Geraldine Newbold, who had been chief executive and clerk for more than four years, has resigned from her post.
The announcement comes two weeks after it was confirmed that the SDT would have to relocate next year after its eviction from current premises at Gate House in central London. The tribunal was forced to plead for an extra £1.1m to cover the costs of the move, which was caused by the landlord’s withdrawal of the offer of a new 10-year lease.
Newbold had not commented since the announcement and has now been replaced on an interim basis by her deputy Ray Dhanowa until a full-time replacement is sought.
Alison Kellett, president of the SDT, thanked Newbold for her dedication to the organisation and added: ‘The board of the SDT retains its ambitious vision for the future as we evolve to continue to meet the needs of all our users, embrace technological advances and provide the best value for our profession and remain committed to the SDT’s core responsibility, which is to provide justice to those that come before it, maintaining and upholding the reputation of our profession.’
In the days following the eviction notice, Kellett said the move was ‘beyond our control’ but that it would provide the tribunal with an ‘exciting opportunity’ to review its requirements for the future.
