The Role of General Counsel in the Public Sector

Abstract

It is imperative that large organisations in the public sector, as well as the private sector, retain at all times a focus on good governance and upon the lawfulness of their actions. However, in periods where significant savings need to be achieved and organisational change delivered, it is even more important that law and governance are at the centre of the organisation. An absence of legal and constitutional input into top tier decision making and discussions leaves Members, Officers and the Local Authority open to risk that could be otherwise mitigated or avoided by early intervention. General Counsel (GC) acts as the authority's “conscience”, as a sounding-board and source of sound judgment on questions in which ethical issues often shade legal determinations. In summary, the GC is the organisation’s navigator when the GPS goes down.