The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 13 November 2025.
The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Gerard Boyers, Brett Dixon and Sarah Stephens as expert members of the Online Procedure Rule Committee.
Sarah Stephens
Sarah Stephens is the OPRC lay advice member who is a non-practising solicitor and a legal technologist specialising in access to justice. She spent over a decade as a commercial lawyer with Linklaters and Kennedys, before transitioning to KPMG East Africa where she led their international development portfolio overseeing justice, education, and economic growth programs.
For the past 10 years, she has worked as an independent consultant on projects promoting access to justice, gender equality, and technology for development, working with UN agencies, the World Bank, and various NGOs.
Brett Dixon
Brett Dixon is the OPRC legal member. He is a Deputy Vice President of the Law Society and a Senior Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. Admitted as a solicitor in 1999, he holds higher rights of audience in civil matters and is also an accredited mediator.
Gerard Boyers
Gerard Boyers is the OPRC technology member and a Director at Deloitte where he leads Digital Transformation Strategy. He brings extensive experience in delivering digital products, having served as the Head of Digital at HSBC and Aviva as well the Government Digital Service and BBC iPlayer
The Online Procedure Rule Committee (OPRC) was established under Section 22 of the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022. The aim of the OPRC is to improve access to justice for all by harnessing the power of modern digital technology in the pre-action space, in the civil and family courts and in the tribunals.
These reappointments are made by the Lord Chancellor after consultation with the Lady Chief Justice, the Senior President of Tribunals and, in the case of the legal member, the Law Society.