The Commissioner for Public Appointments is a British public servant, appointed by the King,[1] whose primary role is to provide independent assurance that ministerial public appointments across the United Kingdom by HM Government Ministers (and devolved appointments by Welsh Government Ministers) are made in accordance with the Principles of Public Appointments and the Cabinet Office's Governance Code on Public Appointments.[2] The commissioner issues an annual report and a statistical bulletin each year.[3]
There are similar bodies for two other jurisdictions of the United Kingdom – the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland and the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.
As of July 2022[update], the current commissioner for public appointments is William Shawcross.[4]