Insurance lawyer Ian Enright will chair the forthcoming independent review of the General Insurance Code of Practice.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) board appointed Mr Enright after consulting the Federal Government, regulators and consumer groups.

ICA will work with him to put in place the consultative arrangements for the year-long review, with the first meetings expected soon.

A two-person reference panel will support Mr Enright, with a consumer representative and an industry representative yet to be appointed.

“Mr Enright’s specialist knowledge and achievements in the area of finance and insurance make him an outstanding choice as the independent reviewer of the industry’s code of practice,” ICA President Rob Scott said.

Recent changes to the code will come into effect on July 1. They include providing greater certainty for policyholders on the completion of external expert reports, making these reports available to claimants and allowing the right to lodge a claim to test the question of policy cover.

The review will seek the views of consumer groups as well as addressing the many issues raised by recent government inquiries into industry operations.