4 Una Jagose, QC

Solicitor General Una Jagose called for a ‘cultural reset’ of the legla profession in the Law Foundation’s Ethel Benjamin address this October. People listened.

As chief executive of the Crown Law Office and its 180 staff, and also the ‘‘professional head’’ of more than 800 lawyers employed by the government’s various departments, ministries and agencies she has a power role both from a legislative and a legal leadership perspective.

She has previously pointed out that, as Solicitor-general, she is both the Government’s main adviser over any legal disputes involving the Crown, and the senior advocate for the Government.

Part of her role was to ensure that successive governments continued to recognise the law, and to work in accordance with it.

Una Jagose had already held a position of considerable power as acting head of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB). She had previously been Deputy Solicitor, Crown Legal Risk at Crown Law for two years before moving to the GCSB role. Earlier, she worked for Crown Law for over a decade and had also been chief legal advisor at the Ministry of Fisheries.

Most recently she has faced dealing with the high profile discharge without conviction of rugby player Losi Filipo and the Supreme Court appeal for now deceased convicted sex offender Peter Ellis, when she appeared to argue against hearing the appeal for the Crown.