Boyce stepped into the role in March after president David Greene resigned, but was formally installed into the post last week. A former director of legal services at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, she is the second in-house solicitor in nearly 50 years to take the reins at Chancery Lane. At the same ceremony, Lubna Shuja was officially installed as vice president while Nick Emmerson took office as deputy vice president.
Boyce said: ‘I am living testament to the growing social opportunity in the legal profession but I also recognise that more needs to be done. Here’s to another year of breaking down the barriers to accessing justice, to overseas markets, and ultimately, to a thriving profession―all while striving to protect the rule of law.’
It was a double celebration for Boyce last week after she was named, for the second year running, on Powerful Media’s 2022 Powerlist, which lists the UK’s 100 most influential men and women of African and African Caribbean heritage.
Boyce said she was ‘delighted and humbled’ to be named on the list.
Also on the Powerlist were solicitors: Leigh, Day partner Jacqueline McKenzie; Joshua Siaw, partner, White & Case; Segun Osuntokun, partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner; Marcia Willis-Stewart QC, director, Birnberg Peirce; Sandra Wallace, partner & joint managing director, UK & Europe, DLA Piper; and Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford, former Dentons partner and now chair of Shakespeare’s Globe.
David Lammy MP, Shadow Justice Secretary, and Harry Matovu QC represented the Bar on the Powerlist. Corporate counsel listed were Dr Sandie Okoro, senior vice president and group general counsel, World Bank; and Tom Shropshire, general counsel & company secretary, Diageo.
