Helena Kennedy QC has taken over as chair of the Media Standards Trust (MST). She has replaced Roger Graef, who has stepped aside due to broadcasting commitments.
He founded Films of Record, a documentary production company which has been jointly commissioned with Ten Alps to make a programme about the Leveson inquiry. Although Graef is not involved in the project, he did not want there to be any hint of a conflict of interest with the MST.
Kennedy has been a member of the MST board since its formation in 2006. One of the country's leading lawyers, she was on the board of The Independent for many years.
Among her many posts, she is the chair of Justice, co-chair of the International Bar Association's Institute of Human Rights and sits on the parliamentary joint committee on human rights. She is also principal of Mansfield College Oxford
The MST's founding chair, Sir David Bell, stood down when he joined the Leveson inquiry as an assessor in July 2011. At that point, Graef took over as acting chair.
Source: Media Standards Trust
