SPG Annual Weekend 2021: Challenges to the scrutiny of delegated legislation in the context of Brexit and Covid-19

Sir Jonathan Jones KCB QC (former Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department)

Sir Jonathan Jones KCB QC was appointed in March 2014 and served until his resignation on 8 September 2020 as HM Procurator General, Treasury Solicitor and Head of the Government Legal Service, and so the Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department.

He joined the Government in the Office of Fair Trading in 1989, transferring to the Treasury Solicitor’s Department in 1993. He was promoted to be a director in 2002, initially serving as the Legal Director of the Department for Education and Skills, and two years later being promoted again to be the Director-General of the Attorney General’s Office. In 2009 Jones became the Deputy Treasury Solicitor, and after three years moved to the Home Office as their Director-General for Legal Affairs from 2012 until 2014. He was appointed Treasury Solicitor on 1 March 2014.

He was appointed Honorary Queen’s Counsel in January 2019, and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2020 New Year Honours for public service.

Professor Tom Hickman QC (Blackstone Chambers, UCL)

Graduate of Cambridge University and University of Toronto. Barrister at Blackstone Chambers. Standing Counsel to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner. 

Author of Public Law After the Human Rights Act (2010) (Inner Temple Book Prize 2008-11 (new author)); co-author of Human Rights : Judicial Protection in the United Kingdom (2008). Has written a number of articles and book chapters on public law, human rights, constitutional theory and national security. Tom regularly blogs on the UK Constitutional Law Group Blog including recent blogs on access to justice (“Public Law’s Disgrace Parts 1 and 2”) and “Pulling the Article 50 Trigger: Parliament’s Indispensible Role” with Jeff King and Nick Barber, which argued that legislation was necessary to trigger Article 50.  Awarded the Sutherland Prize for best published article on Anglo/American Legal History by the American Socierty of Legal History in 2016. 

Dr Ruth Fox (Director, Hansard Society)

Ruth is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of the Society and leads its research programme. She has appeared before more than a dozen parliamentary select committees and inquiries, and regularly contributes to a wide range of current affairs programmes on radio and television, commentating on parliamentary process and political reform.

In 2012 she served as adviser to the independent Commission on Political and Democratic Reform in Gibraltar, and in 2013 as an independent member of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee Review Group. Prior to joining the Society in 2008, she was head of research and communications for a Labour MP and Minister and ran his general election campaigns in 2001 and 2005 in a key marginal constituency. In 2004 she worked for Senator John Kerry’s presidential campaign in the battleground state of Florida. In 1999-2001 she worked as a Client Manager and historical adviser at the Public Record Office (now the National Archives), after being awarded a PhD in political history (on the electoral strategy and philosophy of the Liberal Party 1970-1983) from the University of Leeds, where she also taught Modern European History and Contemporary International Politics.

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Chair of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee)

Lord (Robin) Hodgson has more than 40 years’ experience in the private equity, securities and investment banking industries. He co-founded the private equity and investment banking specialist group Granville in 1979, and spearheaded its growth as chief executive and then chairman. Lord Hodgson played a role in developing the new regulatory structure of the City, including 10 years as a director of the Securities and Future Authority. He is the co-founder and Chairman of Nova Capital. He was the Conservative MP for Walsall North from 1976 to 1979 and was created a life peer in March 2000. Lord Hodgson holds a number of other non-executive directorships, is an active private investor and is Chairman of Nova’s Investment Committee. He was President of the NCVO from 2007 to 2012.

Christine Salmon Percival (Lords Clerk & Deputy Head Lords Legislation Office)

Chris Salmon Percival has worked as a Clerk in the House of Lords for nearly 20 years. She is currently Deputy Head of the Legislation Office. Her role includes being Clerk of Delegated Legislation (clerking the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee and the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments), Secretary to the Ecclesiastical Committee, and Clerk of Private Bills and Examiner of Petitions for Private Bills. Prior to joining the House of Lords, Chris trained as a barrister. She worked for some years as a government lawyer, working in the Court of Appeal and Law Commission, and later became Assistant Secretary to the Committee on Standards in Public Life.