Office of General Counsel

The Office of General Counsel is dedicated to fostering a culture of integrity, professionalism, transparency, and accountability, in order to support UCL’s mission and values. As experts in compliance, data protection, governance, legal, policy and risk management, we strive to empower our university community to excel through robust frameworks and innovative and agile solutions.

More on our services

Data Protection and Freedom of Information

The Data Protection and Freedom of Information Team provides support, expertise and guidance to the UCL community to confidently manage the risks concerning Privacy and Freedom of Information. We achieve this through operational management of statutory requests, providing advice and guidance on various aspects of data protection, and assisting in preventing and resolving data breaches including acting as main point of liaison with Information Commissioner’s Office. Further information can be found on the UCL Data Protection and Freedom of Information webpages.

Governance

The Governance Team services UCL’s principal committees, including the Council, the Academic Board, University Management Committee and many of their sub-committees. The Team is also responsible for the delivery of certain processes arising from the responsibilities of those committees, and oversees UCL’s key governance documents, including the Charter and Statutes and Regulations for Management. The team can be contacted at secretariat@ucl.ac.uk. Further information can be found on the Governance and Compliance webpages.

Legal Services

Legal Services provides legal advisory support to UCL across the full breadth of its activity. We work across the institution to identify and mitigate legal risks and assist in sound decision making. Further information can be found on the Legal Services webpages.

Policy

The Policy Office oversees policy across UCL, working closely with the many specialist policy teams to ensure that our policies are fit for purpose and aligned with our values and our commitments on equity and inclusion. The Policy Office is in the process of establishing a new policy framework for UCL, which will include standardised processes for developing, updating and approving policies. We are also developing a central policy register to make it easier for staff and students to access the information that they need. Please contact ogc.policy@ucl.ac.uk if you have any queries on the policy framework at UCL.

Risk and Compliance

The Risk and Compliance team is responsible for creating and embedding fit for purpose risk and assurance frameworks across UCL. We work closely with the Office of the President and Provost in managing strategic risks that could prevent UCL from delivering its strategic objectives. We also provide support, challenge and technical expertise to university colleagues and help them to better manage their key operational risks. Please contact risk@ucl.ac.uk if you have any risk queries. The team is also tasked with establishing a UCL-wide compliance framework.