Kathryn Stevenson

Ms Stevenson is head of legal services at the Children’s Law Centre (CLC), which offers free legal advice and information on a wide range of children’s legal rights issues.

She qualified as a solicitor in 1997 and initially worked in private practice before joining CLC in 2000 as an education solicitor. She was appointed as head of legal services in 2009, taking lead responsibility for operational planning, management and strategic development of CLC’s in-house legal team.

She provides expert guidance and support to legal staff on casework and strategic litigation undertaken by CLC to bring about progressive changes in law and practice relating to children in Northern Ireland.

Her appointment by health minister Mike Nesbitt commenced on 1 January 2025 and will run until 31 December 2028.

The position attracts remuneration of £4,383 per year with a time commitment of 30 days per annum.

The Children’s Court Guardian Agency for Northern Ireland was established in 2023 and its primary function is to allocate children’s court guardians who are appointed by the court to promote the best interests of, and to represent the views of, children and young people in family law proceedings, including care and adoption proceedings.

The agency’s board comprises a non-executive chair, four non-executive members and the chief executive.