Four Lay Members on the Security Vetting Appeals Panel (SVAP) have had their terms extended until 31st March 2027.

The Lay Members are Claire Stokes, James Barron, Nicholas Griffin and Sally Berlin, whose terms were due to finish on 31st March 2025. Their terms have been extended for continuity of board expertise.

The Security Vetting Appeals Panel reviews decisions to refuse or withdraw National Security Vetting and the process involved. You can find out more about what the Panel does here.

The Panel currently has 15 sitting members: a Chair, a Deputy Chair and 13 Lay Members. 

There are no statutory limits on the number of terms a Lay Member can serve. However, the Governance Code for Public Appointments sets out that no individual should serve in a single role for more than two terms or ten years.

Claire Stokes was Risk Management Lead Partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and is currently an Independent Contractor with PwC Global. 

James Barron is a former senior civil servant and prior to retirement was Chief Executive of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Nicholas Griffin QC founded the QEB Hollis Whiteman Public Law Group and is the head of Chambers’ Business and Human Rights Group. He is Trustee of Anti-Slavery International; UK Anti-Doping board member and Former Assistant Commissioner for the Boundary Commission for England. 

Sally Berlin is Director of Casework Operations at the Criminal Cases Review Commission.