Una Jagose KC, a fixture on the LawFuel Power List and one of the most influential legal figures of the past decade, will step down as Solicitor-General in February. Attorney-General Judith Collins confirmed her departure, thanking Jagose for “long and valued service” in a role that has defined much of New Zealand’s legal response to everything from national security issues to constitutional crises.
Jagose took up the post in February 2016 after a 35-year career in public law that included leading roles at Crown Law, the Ministry of Justice, and the GCSB, where she famously steadied the ship after the Kim Dotcom surveillance debacle. Her mix of sharp intellect, calm command and political steel made her a go-to legal adviser to successive governments on the thorniest matters they’d rather not have to explain to voters.
As Solicitor-General, she has served as the Crown’s chief legal adviser and its advocate in the courts, straddling the delicate line between independence and political proximity. It’s a job where missteps are remembered and competence is expected as a baseline. She delivered both the intellect and the steel, often under fire.
Replacing her will be no small task. The Solicitor-General runs Crown Law, oversees the government’s legal strategy, and is the last line of defence for prosecutorial independence. Jagose’s departure signals the end of an era where one of the country’s most quietly powerful lawyers defined the tone and reach of state legal power.
The Public Service Commission will now manage the appointment process for her successor. Whoever takes the job will inherit a position as formidable as the woman who’s leaving it.
