Non-Executive Directors
Non-executive directors play an important role in the governance of the Supreme Court and JCPC. They provide independent insight and an experienced voice at Management Board level to complement our executive team.
The Supreme Court and JCPC have three non-executive directors.
Iain Lanaghan
Iain was appointed as lead non-executive director of the UK Supreme Court in January 2023.
Iain Lanaghan is an experienced chair, audit chair and non-executive director, and was a former Main Board finance director. He is currently a non-executive director and chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of DE&S (Defence Equipment & Support, an agency of the Ministry of Defence), the North Sea Transition Authority (formerly the Oil & Gas Authority) and of Scottish Government-owned Scottish Water.
Previously he held these positions at the National Nuclear Laboratory. Prior to this he held a number of international private sector finance director roles, including as Group Finance Director of FirstGroup plc and Faroe Petroleum plc, and Finance Director of PowerGen International and Atlantic Petroleum. He is a Chartered Accountant, having qualified with KPMG in London.
Jane Furniss
Jane was appointed as non-executive director of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in September 2023.
Jane has spent her whole career in the justice world, as a probation officer, HM Inspector of Probation and as a senior civil servant in the Home Office. She was Chief Executive of IPCC from 2006 to 2013, where she transformed the way it responded to incidents and complaints which saw a reduction in deaths in police custody and other very serious incidents. On retirement she was appointed Non-executive Director of the National Crime Agency, from 2013 to 2018.
Recently she has served as a Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission, an independent body which selects candidates for judicial office in England and Wales. In addition to selecting candidates, Jane chaired the Audit and Risk Committee and the External Advisory Group on behalf of the JAC Board.
Jane is currently a Trustee of Cumberland Lodge, a charitable foundation providing an educational centre and residential conference venue. She also chairs the Capital Appeal Board for Overgate Hospice in Calderdale.
Previously, Jane was Deputy Chair of the homelessness charity, Crisis. She was Senior Independent Director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, from 2012 to 2018.
Jane was appointed CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2012.
Julie Nerney
Julie was appointed as a non-executive director of the UK Supreme Court in February 2023.
Julie started her career as an accidental serial entrepreneur, starting, running and selling 14 businesses in the UK and overseas. She has since had a successful interim career as a business transformation expert, spanning the private, public and not for profit sectors. This ranged from complex change programmes to whole organisation turnarounds and high profile projects including a leadership role in the delivery of the transport operation for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
She has experience of every stage of the organisational life cycle and has worked in dozens of Executive and CEO roles. Her transformation work is complemented by a varied portfolio of Chair and NED roles for organisations whose values closely match her own. She is also a published author, public speaker and supports the Oxford Said Business School leadership development programme.