The Roles of Government Lawyers
The Unit has begun a short project examining the role of government lawyers: what do they do, and what is the nature of their influence in Whitehall?
In determining the appropriate and legal scope of executive action, lawyers and academics have mostly concerned themselves with what the courts say and do. But there are a group of actors within the Executive who may also have a role in determining the scope and legality of government action: government lawyers.
We wish to know:
- What are the current institutional arrangements of the government legal service in Whitehall, and how has this changed over time? Are lawyers now more integral to policy making, with the growth of judicial review, and the Human Rights Act?
- What is the hierarchy of legal advice in Whitehall? How are differences resolved?
- What are the pros and cons of departments having in-house lawyers? Should No 10 and Cabinet Office have in-house lawyers?
- To what extent do lawyers in government see themselves as different from other civil servants or lawyers in private practice?
Nat Le Roux, Chairman of the Constitution Society, has agreed to provide funding for this scoping project. The project will run from December 2012 to May 2013, and is led by Dr Ben Yong. The key proposed outputs are a final report, and a broader research proposal (to be submitted to a research council for further funding).
If you are interested in any aspect of this project, please contact Dr Ben Yong at b.yong@ucl.ac.uk. We are particularly interested in getting in touch with former and current government lawyers, and civil servants who have or have had regular contact with government lawyers.
