The Impartiality of Service

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Susanna McGibbon

Susanna McGibbon is His Majesty’s Procurator General, the Treasury Solicitor and the Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department, or GLD.  She is the most senior civil servant who gives legal advice to the government of the day. 

Susanna and Sally discuss the important distinction that whilst she and the GLD act in their client’s best interests, they are politically impartial.  

They reflect on Susanna’s passion for ensuring that the Government of the day is advised by people who live and work all over the country.  It’s vitally important to Susanna that the Government is advised by people who reflect the society that they serve.  

Susanna also shares with Sally why her most significant case was actually a defeat, when the High Court ruled that MPs must be given a vote on whether to trigger Article 50.
 
Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni