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Congratulations to Our Newly Elected Officers of the Inn for 2025

A row of wooden chairs with red leather backs and the gold crest of Lincoln's Inn on the centre of them

The election of the Officers of the Inn for 2025 was confirmed at the July Council meeting.  For 2025, the Officers will be:

Treasurer:  The Hon Sir Paul Morgan

Keeper of the Library:  Elspeth Talbot Rice KC

Keeper of the Black Book and Dean of the Chapel:  Michael Todd KC

We are also delighted to announce that Susanna McGibbon will become Keeper of the Walks, with her term beginning in January 2025. Susanna is Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department (GLD); she will be the first employed barrister to hold this position at Lincoln’s Inn.

Susanna was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1990 and was elected a Bencher in 2021. She is a member of the Scholarships Committee, the Advisory (Benchers) Committee and the Social Mobility Sub-Committee. She frequently speaks at Inn events and participates in various events for students, focusing particularly on opportunities at the Employed Bar. Susanna was featured in the Inn’s Annual Review 2023, where you can read more about her role with the Government Legal Department in the article A Day in the Life of the Treasury Solicitor (pages 32-33).

The Officers of the Inn are Benchers elected annually to serve one-year terms. They typically advance one position each year, subject to re-election. The Treasurer serves as the head of the Inn, supported by three other Officers – the Keeper of the Library, the Keeper of the Black Book, and the Keeper of the Walks. The Dean of the Chapel role is usually held by the Keeper of the Black Book but may be assigned to another Officer.

Th Hon Sir Paul Morgan, in a blue suit and tie, in front of a grey backdrop

Treasurer: The Hon Sir Paul Morgan
Sir Paul Morgan was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1975, took Silk in 1992 and was elected as a Bencher in 2001. Specialising in property law, he was appointed a High Court Judge in 2007, serving in the Chancery Division until his retirement in September 2021. He now practises as an arbitrator and mediator at Wilberforce Chambers and joined the KC Appointments Panel in January 2023.

Elspeth Talbot Rice KC, smiling, in black suit and top, in front of a grey backdrop

Keeper of the Library: Elspeth Talbot Rice KC
Elspeth Talbot Rice KC was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1990, took Silk in 2008 and was elected as a Bencher in 2012. As head of chambers at XXIV Old Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn, she specialises in contentious Chancery matters, particularly international trust disputes. Listen to our interview with Elspeth in Episode 3 of the Listening Inn podcast here.

Headshot of Michael Todd KC, hea wears a dark suit jacket, white shirt and red tie. He has thick grey hair and classes with a thin metal frame

Keeper of the Black Book and Dean of Chapel: Michael Todd KC
Michael Todd KC was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1977, took Silk in 1997 and was elected as a Bencher in 2006. A practising barrister at Erskine Chambers, he focuses on litigation and advisory services in company law, both domestically and internationally. Michael’s extensive service includes roles such as Chair of the Bar Council (2012) and trustee of the Bar Pro Bono Unit (2013-2017).

Susanna McGibbon, a white woman with short grey hair. She is smiling and wears a bright blue suit jacket over a black top with blue flowers, in front of a green and glass partition.

Keeper of the Walks: Susanna McGibbon
Susanna McGibbon was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1990 and was elected a Bencher in 2021. She was appointed Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department (GLD) in March 2021. As such, she leads GLD in its provision of advisory, commercial, employment and litigation services to most central government departments. Susanna joined the Government Legal Profession in 1993 after three years in private practice at the Bar. Having worked in most government departments at some point, her experience encompasses the range of government legal work – policy development, primary and secondary legislation, litigation, public inquires, EU law, human rights and national security.