Peter Fish appointed interim Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary of GLD

Peter Fish, Home Office Legal Adviser and Director General of the Government Legal Department (GLD) since 2014, has been appointed interim Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary of the GLD.

His previous roles include:

• Deputy Treasury Solicitor at the Treasury Solicitor’s Department, 2012 to 2014
• Director General of the Attorney General’s Office, 2009 to 2012
• Director, Cabinet Office and Central Advisory Division at the Treasury Solicitor’s Department, 2005 to 2009.

Mr Fish said: "It is a huge privilege to be appointed as Interim Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department.

"GLD is a fantastic department and every day in GLD I am impressed by the fantastic breadth of our work and the professionalism, dedication and calibre of our people.

"I am committed to continuing to deliver high quality, trusted legal services for governmetn on some of the most important issues of the day."

The previous Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary of the GLD, Jonathan Jones QC, resigned in September amid reports of his unhappiness at government plans to overwrite, through the UK internal market bill, parts of the EU Withdrawal Agreement in relation to Northern Ireland.

Last month the GLD appointed search company Odgers Berndston to find the next Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary for the GLD.

The role, which includes acting as Head of Profession for the 2,500+ lawyers in the Government Legal Profession, attracts a salary of between £162,500 - £180,000.