Ministerial directions and a 'powerful' board: Think tank's 'draft bill' sets out vision for statutory civil service
13 May Legal

Ministerial directions and a 'powerful' board: Think tank's 'draft bill' sets out vision for statutory civil service

Cab sec would have responsibility for appointment and performance management of perm secs under IfG proposals
by Tevye Markson
Civil servants ‘can resign’ if they strongly oppose Gaza policy
10 Jun Legal
Civil servants ‘can resign’ if they strongly oppose Gaza policy
'Years of neglect' to blame for Legal Aid Agency data breach, minister says
03 Jun Legal
'Years of neglect' to blame for Legal Aid Agency data breach, minister says
For AI to serve the public, we need comprehensive reform – Labour's data bill isn't the answer
02 Jun Legal
For AI to serve the public, we need comprehensive reform – Labour's data bill isn't the answer
‘We have balanced the urgent response to the pandemic with the legal requirements that underpin civil service appointments’: Civil Service Commission chief Pete Lawrence on 2020
22 Dec 2020 Legal
‘We have balanced the urgent response to the pandemic with the legal requirements that underpin civil service appointments’: Civil Service Commission chief Pete Lawrence on 2020
2020 was a year unlike any other, with the coronavirus pandemic upending the work of government and changing how we live our daily lives. Senior figures from across the civil service tell us how the unprecedented 12 months affected them, and look ahead to 2021
Priti Patel dubs shouting and swearing allegations ‘not accurate’
17 Dec 2020 Legal
Priti Patel dubs shouting and swearing allegations ‘not accurate’
Home secretary says she has not seen full version of Alex Allan’s investigation into her treatment of civil servants
PM overruled civil service chief on settlement for spad sacked by Cummings
16 Dec 2020 Legal
PM overruled civil service chief on settlement for spad sacked by Cummings
Ministerial direction letters reveal Manzoni advised Boris Johnson to negotiate with Sonia Khan
PM threatened with legal challenge to Priti Patel bullying decision
10 Dec 2020 Legal
PM threatened with legal challenge to Priti Patel bullying decision
Union wants judges to review rejection of independent advice that home secretary broke ministerial code
Government drops controversial Brexit clauses that would have broken international law
09 Dec 2020 Legal
Government drops controversial Brexit clauses that would have broken international law
Internal markets bill would have broken the law in a "specific and limited way"
Home Office broke the law with hostile environment policy, equalities watchdog finds
25 Nov 2020 Legal
Home Office broke the law with hostile environment policy, equalities watchdog finds
Department “effectively ignored” equality legislation when developing the policy, damning EHRC report concludes
MSPs slammed for ‘inappropriate’ treatment of civil servants in Salmond probe
19 Nov 2020 Legal
MSPs slammed for ‘inappropriate’ treatment of civil servants in Salmond probe
Politicians failing to apply same “quasi-judicial approach” expected of officials to their own behaviour, union chief says
Failure to publish Patel bullying report is damaging public trust, warns standards watchdog
12 Nov 2020 Legal
Failure to publish Patel bullying report is damaging public trust, warns standards watchdog
Committee on Standards in Public Life chair says allegations of bullying at the Home Office need to be seen to have been “properly and independently investigated”
FDA calls on Sunak to deal with CPS ‘workload crisis’ in Spending Review
11 Nov 2020 Legal
FDA calls on Sunak to deal with CPS ‘workload crisis’ in Spending Review
Union sends petition to chancellor calling for resources to deal with backlog of 45,000 cases
GLD offers £180,000 for government's next top lawyer
29 Oct 2020 Legal
GLD offers £180,000 for government's next top lawyer
Recruitment firm to get up to £45,000 to assist in search for Treasury solicitor to succeed Sir Jonathan Jones
Cabinet Office publishes employee and supplier personal info in data breach
29 Oct 2020 Legal
Cabinet Office publishes employee and supplier personal info in data breach
Improperly redacted contract included names and mobile phone numbers – which remained publicly available four days after department had been notified of breach
Opinion: Dominic Cummings is keen to make the UK a technology superpower. He should change procurement rules to make it happen
13 Oct 2020 Legal
Opinion: Dominic Cummings is keen to make the UK a technology superpower. He should change procurement rules to make it happen
Innovation is stifled by public sector procurement rules. Brexit, and the Integrated Review, offer a chance to change that, says Simon Harwood, the head of defence and security at Cranfield University
09 Oct 2020 Legal
DfE broke data-protection law, ICO investigation finds
Watchdog makes 139 recommendations after identifying numerous lapses
Minister rejects call for written directions to be expanded to policy amid Internal Market Bill concerns
18 Sep 2020 Legal
Minister rejects call for written directions to be expanded to policy amid Internal Market Bill concerns
Civil servants told that go-ahead from new cabinet secretary is only assurance they need to work on controversial legislation
‘Notwithstanding the breach of international law’: government lawyers told internal market bill within civil service rules
11 Sep 2020 Legal
‘Notwithstanding the breach of international law’: government lawyers told internal market bill within civil service rules
Message from Jonathan Jones – who has resigned over the plans – relays Simon Case’s view to officials
Rycroft reveals revised Twitter guidelines after Home Office’s ‘activist lawyers’ post
11 Sep 2020 Legal
Rycroft reveals revised Twitter guidelines after Home Office’s ‘activist lawyers’ post
Perm sec says additional layers of assurance have been introduced following the tweet, which he previously said ‘should not have been used on an official government channel’
Hancock: New social gathering restrictions ‘absolutely vital to protect life’
09 Sep 2020 Legal
Hancock: New social gathering restrictions ‘absolutely vital to protect life’
‘We need everyone to see the new rules and read them,’ says Matt Hancock
Wise counsel: Government legal chief Jonathan Jones on prorogation, Brexit, and surviving ‘grim moments’ Exclusive
08 Sep 2020 Legal
Wise counsel: Government legal chief Jonathan Jones on prorogation, Brexit, and surviving ‘grim moments’
Laying the ground for Brexit against a backdrop of political uncertainty has taken the Government Legal Department into uncharted territory, with no let up from its normal duties. Perm sec and Treasury solicitor Sir Jonathan Jones tells Beckie Smith about the tasks at hand
Crooks hijack Government Legal Department's phone number
25 Aug 2020 Legal
Crooks hijack Government Legal Department's phone number
GLD issues warning about enquiry number showing up on calls from fraudsters
Whitehall departments reported 500 personal data breaches to ICO in 2019-20
14 Jul 2020 Legal
Whitehall departments reported 500 personal data breaches to ICO in 2019-20
Information request reveals that number of reported incidents increased slightly
‘His decency and integrity shone through in everything he did’: Government Legal Department's Stephen Amos remembered by Sir Jonathan Jones
03 Jul 2020 Legal
‘His decency and integrity shone through in everything he did’: Government Legal Department's Stephen Amos remembered by Sir Jonathan Jones
GLD perm sec pays tribute to "a brilliant lawyer and the most diligent of public servants"
Johnson hints at review of no recourse to public funds policy after ‘jaw-dropping’ committee grilling
28 May 2020 Legal
Johnson hints at review of no recourse to public funds policy after ‘jaw-dropping’ committee grilling

Work and pension committee chair to follow up with No.10 after PM ‘clearly surprised to hear that people in this situation can’t claim Universal Credit or other benefits’
PM: Cab sec inquiry into Cummings lockdown journeys ‘would not be a good use of officials’ time’
28 May 2020 Legal
PM: Cab sec inquiry into Cummings lockdown journeys ‘would not be a good use of officials’ time’

PM tells committee of senior MPs it is time to move on from row over adviser's possible lockdown breaches
Brexit: Michael Gove says there will be ‘additional new processes’ at Northern Ireland border
21 May 2020 Legal
Brexit: Michael Gove says there will be ‘additional new processes’ at Northern Ireland border

Cabinet Office minister says there will be “some limited additional process on goods arriving in Northern Ireland” under the Brexit deal