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Parliamentary and Advisory Role

Governments draw continuously upon the skills of their lawyers as they put into practice the policies pledged in their election campaigns. They call upon GLS lawyers to advise on whether a policy can be implemented under existing legislation and, if so, how. If primary legislation is required, GLS lawyers will play a key role in helping to draft the Bill and take it through Parliament. GLS lawyers liaise closely with officials, Parliamentary Counsel and Ministers. They brief Ministers and support them in Parliamentary debates.

GLS lawyers also draft secondary legislation, much of which will impact upon the community as a whole. Both primary and secondary legislation require a logical approach and the ability to clarify complex ideas – orally and in writing. GLS lawyers need the ability to work quickly and accurately. It is up to them to ensure that all the legal implications of a policy are thought through, including any that relate to the EU and the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). It is also their job to ensure that the law they are involved in drafting will withstand the scrutiny of both the courts and Parliament. As well as being intellectually demanding, this work is unique to the GLS.