What is your current role and focus?

I’ve been Chief Executive of the Scottish Arbitration Centre since its establishment in 2011, on secondment from the Scottish Government. I am also the Registrar at the Centre.

What are the benefits of being a government/public lawyer?

One of the benefits is the flexibility in some jurisdictions. Within the system at the Scottish Government, the lawyers are civil servants first and foremost, so we can move to policy roles outside of legal office. I am on secondment from Justice, rather than Legal, to the Scottish Arbitration Centre, after working in justice policy.

Why did you decide to establish this IBA Forum?

I have been involved in the IBA for 15 years. I would meet government and public lawyers at the Annual Conference but realised there was not a committee for such lawyers. So, I worked with IBA senior management to establish the Forum a few years ago to ensure government and public lawyers from around the world have a place to share knowledge and experience in respect of their work.

What is your current role and focus?

I lead a federal merits review tribunal which hears appeals by veterans and serving members of the military.

What inspired you to pursue a career in public law?

I have always been interested in service to the public, and the role that those who practise within it have in defending the rule of law and broadening access to justice. Being on the frontline also provides a unique perspective on the evolution and operation of law and policy and the workings of justice systems, including the design and innovation of processes for citizens to exercise their legal rights.

What do you hope to achieve as Co-Chair of the Forum?

I’m proud to be part of the IBA’s newest committee and delivering on Andrew Mackenzie’s determination to provide a platform for government and public lawyers within the world’s largest legal organisation. I hope to bring greater visibility to the work of the Forum and showcase the unique skills and knowledge of government and public lawyers. In doing so, I’m excited to form partnerships and collaborations with other committees to further recognise and highlight the value of this important sector of the legal profession.

What is your current role and focus?

Since 2023, I have been adviser to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology of the State of Qatar, with a special focus on digital economy. From a practical perspective, I am following up on the implementation of Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030, which we developed to support the Third National Development Strategy (2026–2030). I also support the teams in charge of new technologies, such as AI and quantum, from an infrastructure to a service perspective.

What journey led you to pursue a career in Qatar?

Attorney at law (Paris Bar) and then in-counsel/general counsel in the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector, I was recruited by Qatar in 2012 to establish a new regulator for the ICT sector.

How have the recent hostilities presented challenges for the delivery of government services in Qatar, and how have government lawyers had to pivot?

Times are challenging and require a special focus on (cyber)security, service continuity and, whenever possible, further efforts on service automation though AI agents and other technologies.

What is your current role and focus?

I am an international public law and human rights lawyer, admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales. Based near Geneva, I have a varied human rights-focused practice which includes advising global businesses in understanding the potential applicability and implications of sustainability and human rights due diligence regulation; bringing my cross-border litigation expertise to advise organisations on governance, risk and ethics issues; and my public international law expertise on projects seeking accountability for war crimes.

How have human rights laws evolved during your time in practice – in both Europe and elsewhere?

One of the key shifts over the last decade is that sustainability and human rights-related issues feature more prominently on the business agenda. That is not to say these issues were not previously a consideration but, partly in response to increasing regulation, businesses are publicly amplifying their commitment to sustainability and human rights in their governance, strategy and operations.

What are your goals for the Forum this year?

To contribute towards raising the profile of the Forum through the inaugural newsletter and exploring collaboration with other committees on webinars and publications to showcase the diversity of work and issues tackled by government and public lawyers.

What is your current role and focus?

I serve as Deputy Minister of Justice for the Government of Nunavut. In this role, I oversee key components of Nunavut’s justice system, including the courts, Legal Aid, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee and a range of quasi-judicial boards and tribunals. I am also responsible for services such as the Coroner’s Office and Corporate Registries. My focus is on ensuring that justice services are accessible, effective and responsive to the unique needs of Nunavummiut while supporting the administration of justice across the territory.

What differences are there practising as a government lawyer in a unique jurisdiction like Nunavut? What has surprised you?

Practising law and administering justice in Nunavut presents opportunities and challenges unlike anywhere else in Canada. Nunavut has the largest landmass of any province or territory, yet the smallest population, spread across 25 remote communities with no road connections between them. Delivering justice services therefore requires extensive planning, coordination and logistics.

What has impressed me most is the importance of ensuring that services are delivered in ways that reflect the realities of the communities we serve. Nunavut is predominantly Inuit, and it is essential that government institutions are responsive to Inuit culture, traditions and language. This includes ensuring access to services in Inuktitut, alongside English and French.

Another unique aspect is Nunavut’s demographics. The territory has the youngest population in Canada, which has significant implications for public policy, access to justice and the design of justice services. Working in Nunavut has reinforced for me how important it is for legal systems to be adaptable, community-focused and culturally informed.

What drew you to the Forum for Government and Public Lawyers?

I first became involved with the International Bar Association while serving as President of the Canadian Bar Association. At that time, there was no dedicated space within the IBA for government and public sector lawyers to discuss the unique professional, ethical and leadership issues that arise in public service.

The creation of the Forum for Government and Public Lawyers filled that gap. Thanks to the efforts of Andrew Mackenzie and many others, the Forum has quickly become an important international community where government and public lawyers can exchange ideas, learn from one another’s experiences and discuss challenges that transcend national boundaries.

It has been exciting to watch the Forum grow in both membership and influence over a relatively short period of time. I encourage government and public lawyers from around the world to get involved and contribute to this growing community of practice.

What is your current role and focus?

I am Chair of ESMA's CCP Supervisory Committee, with ESMA being the European Securities and Markets Authority, an EU agency located in Paris, France. In that role, I focus on the supervision of central counterparties (CCPs) clearing derivatives and securities transactions in the EU and on the recognition of third-country CCPs. My work is centred on financial stability, resilience of financial market infrastructures and the consistent application of the EU regulatory framework for clearing. Alongside that, I am pleased to support the Forum as Treasurer and to contribute to its practical and international outlook.

What are some of the key issues that you are currently navigating at ESMA?

A number of issues are particularly important at the moment. These include the implementation of recent reforms to strengthen the EU capital markets supervision, the risk management and operational resilience of CCPs and the implications of innovation, including digitalisation and tokenisation, for post-trade infrastructures. More broadly, we are also navigating how to support open, efficient and safe European capital markets in an increasingly complex geopolitical and technological environment.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

I find it rewarding to work on issues that matter for the stability and integrity of financial markets, while also helping to build cooperation across authorities, jurisdictions and markets in the EU and beyond. I also value the combination of technical legal and supervisory work with a broader public purpose. In both ESMA and the Forum, it is especially satisfying to contribute to work that strengthens public institutions and supports public sector colleagues from different backgrounds and legal systems.

What is your current role and focus?

I am Counsel at the World Bank’s Office of Suspension and Debarment, where I work on cases involving fraud, corruption and other misconduct in World Bank-financed projects. My broader focus is on integrity, anti-corruption and governance in international development.

What brought you to Washington, DC and the World Bank?

After several years in private practice, I was drawn to work at the intersection of law, public service and international development. Washington, DC and the World Bank offered a natural home for that interest. What resonated most was the institution’s commitment to impact at scale – the sense that rigorous legal work could contribute to outcomes that genuinely improve people’s lives around the world.

What lessons can be drawn from international organisations like the World Bank in fostering diverse and inclusive teams?

As a multilateral development bank with staff from more than 160 countries, the World Bank Group has a naturally diverse team composition. But diversity and inclusion are not only about representation: they are about creating teams where different legal, cultural and professional perspectives are genuinely heard and valued. This connects directly to the World Bank Group’s core values of respect and teamwork: respecting our people and partners means creating space for different voices, and real teamwork means drawing on the full range of expertise those voices bring. Better ideas emerge when varied perspectives are in the room. At its best, an inclusive team is not just a fairer team; it is a more effective one, better equipped to tackle the complex development challenges facing diverse communities around the world.

What is your current role and focus?

I serve in the Civil Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers in Singapore. My role involves representing the Government of Singapore in court proceedings and other dispute resolution forums, spanning a wide range of public and private law matters. On the public law side, this includes constitutional challenges, judicial review and disputes arising from the exercise of regulatory powers. On the private law side, I handle civil litigation matters in tort, contract and property. Before joining the Attorney-General’s Chambers in 2024, I was a Director at Drew & Napier LLC, a leading Singapore law firm. In that role, I advised on and acted in complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters.

What differences are there practising as a government lawyer in Singapore? What has surprised you?

The most fundamental difference is the nature of the client. In private practice, a lawyer’s duty is to act in their client’s best interests, within the bounds of the law and their professional obligations. As a government lawyer, the position is more nuanced. We are not simply serving the agency that instructs us but are also serving the public interest. That shapes everything about how we approach the work. There is no billing target or commercial outcome to strive for, just the question of what is right and what the law demands.

What has surprised me is the breadth and significance of the work. The matters we work on have implications that extend well beyond the immediate parties. The outcomes can affect how public institutions operate, how rights are understood and how the law develops in Singapore. We are also often working in areas where there is limited precedent. That is intellectually demanding, but it also means the work can shape the law in a real and lasting way.

Given the diversity of legal systems across Asia, what unique value can the Forum for Government and Public Lawyers offer to practitioners in this region?

The diversity of legal systems across Asia, which covers common law, civil law and hybrid systems, is precisely what makes a forum like this valuable. Across the region, government lawyers grapple with common themes such as balancing state authority with individual rights and building resilient legal systems. The Forum can facilitate cross-pollination of ideas and approaches.

Beyond the substantive legal questions, the Forum offers government lawyers a sense of professional identity and community. Government lawyers often work in institutions that are somewhat insular by nature, and the work itself is not always visible in the way that private practice is. As such, having a platform such as the Forum for government lawyers to a network beyond their own institutions and jurisdictions is, in my view, valuable for us as individuals and the profession. When I first encountered the Forum at the IBA Annual Conference in Toronto last year, I was struck by how much common ground there was among government lawyers from very different jurisdictions. This, to me, speaks to just how much potential the Forum has in Asia and globally.

What is your current role and focus?

I’m a Senior Project Lawyer at Crown Law in Brisbane, Queensland, where I lead projects to transform systems, capability and service delivery, including the use of AI tools in government legal practice. My background includes eight years leading a legal team within a central government agency and 11 years practising commercial law at a major Australian law firm.

What issues does the use of AI tools in government legal practice raise?

The use of AI tools raises legal, ethical and professional obligations for all lawyers in government legal practice. The most prominent issues involve data security and guardrails, the maintenance of legal professional privilege and confidentiality, compliance with information privacy laws and record keeping obligations, the verification of outputs and appropriate training and support for users. At a local level, it is also important to identify information that should never be shared with AI tools because of its particular sensitivity or the application of existing government policies. All of these matters need to be considered when creating governance frameworks for the responsible use of AI.

What are you most looking forward to at the IBA Annual Conference in Copenhagen this year?

This will be my first IBA Annual Conference since Sydney 2017, so I’m certainly looking forward to the opportunity to see old friends and meet plenty of new ones, learn about developments relevant to lawyers in government practice across jurisdictions and contribute to debate. I’ve not been to Denmark previously but have fond memories of joining my Scandinavian university football teammates in supporting the Danish national team during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

What is your current role and focus?

I am an advisory lawyer at the UK Government Legal Department, and I advise the Department for Transport on traffic and technology and civil enforcement.

What is a skill you think every young lawyer should focus on developing early in their career?

I think one of the most important skills for any lawyer is curiosity. The best lawyers are constantly learning, asking questions and seeking to understand issues from different perspectives. Equally important is the ability to build strong relationships. Law is ultimately a people profession, and trust is one of your most valuable assets.

What advice would you give to students or young lawyers who might be considering a government or public law career?

A career in government or public law is highly rewarding and can provide unique opportunities to contribute to issues that affect the wider community. Try to seek varied experiences early-on as the breadth of work can be one of the greatest strengths of a public law career.

What is your current role and focus?

Head, Board Secretariat at NUPRC and Council Member and Chairperson, Law Reform & Energy Sector Committees – Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN).

How have recent disruptions in global energy markets affected your work?

Boards are required to lead with agility and regulatory responsiveness to supply shocks. Nigeria’s current estimated share of 40 per cent of Africa’s upstream FIDs, from hitherto four per cent market share only a few years ago, demonstrates the board, management and government at large are advantageously responding to disruptions in the global energy market. I support the board’s strategic work in this regard.

What do you like most about practising as a government lawyer in Nigeria?

I enjoy the strong sense of public service and stewardship of national resources, the opportunity to shape and implement policy that contribute immensely to national development. The volatility of the global energy market means work is dynamic and intellectually engaging. Working in-house legal means you are collaboratively engaged across disciplines. Work is exciting as it is never purely legal; it presents opportunities for diverse learning.

What is your current role and focus?

I’m an Associate Professor in the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University and a member of the Ontario Bar. My current research involves legal ethics for the Attorney General, government lawyers and Crown attorneys.

Why are legal ethics for government and public lawyers so important?

Government and public lawyers comprise a significant proportion of the bar, but they face some ethical issues that are very different than those facing lawyers in private practice. Many of these issues come from being a public servant and a lawyer at the same time. Nonetheless, these lawyers are largely anonymous and invisible to the general public. Government and public lawyers also play a critical role in upholding the rule of law.