Ministry of Justice (UK)
Ministry of Justice
Contents
Background
Works to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. MOJ is a ministerial department, supported by 39 agencies and public bodies. [1]
One of the largest government departments, it employs around 76,000 people and has a budget of approximately £9 billion. The department works with many other government agencies, including:
- HM Courts and Tribunals Service
- HM Prison Service
- Probation Service
- National Offender Management Service (NOMS)
- Legal Aid Agency
- Youth Justice Board [1]
Controversies and conflicts of interest
In March 2016 the MoJ launched an investigation into claims emerged that several of its former commercial MoJ senior staff had emphasised their links to government while seeking private sector work.
According to Civil Service World,
- 'the now-disbanded Just Solutions International team – set up to sell British criminal justice advice to governments around the world, including Saudi Arabia – are now working for a private consultancy called TDPi'.
- 'The consultancy's website promises "a fresh approach to solution development in international justice and correctional services", and its team includes director Tony Challinor, who stepped down as head of commercial development for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in December [2015]'. [2]
The controversy followed a request from shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer in October 2015 for the National Audit Office to investigate Just Solutions International (JSI), the controversial commercial arm of NOMS, which was closed down by Michael Gove after a row over its dealings with countries with poor human rights records.
Public outcry over a JSI contract that would have seen the firm provide training to the Saudi Arabian prison service forced the UK government to abandon the deal. Lord Falcolner said:
- 'The government has been less than transparent about the structure and funding of JSI and it’s important that we know that this hasn’t been another wasteful shambles from the MoJ and that the interests of the taxpayer have been properly safeguarded.'[3]
The NAO investigation found that JSi had cost the taxpayer £1 million after just three years in operation.
People
Ministers
- Michael Gove - secretary of state and lord chancellor
- Mike Penning - minister of state for policing, crime and criminal justice and victims
- Edward Faulks (QC) - minister of state for civil justice and legal policy
- Shailesh Vara (MP) - parliamentary under-secretary of state, minister for the courts and legal aid
- Andrew Selous (MP) - parliamentary under-secretary of state, minister for prisons, probation and rehabilitation
- Caroline Dinenage - parliamentary under-secretary of state
- Dominic Raab - parliamentary under-secretary of state
Former
- Chris Grayling (MP) - lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice from 2012 to 2015. Is now the leader of the House of Commons.
- Simon Hughes (MP) - minister of state for justice and civil liberties from 2013 to 2015. The Lib Dems lost their place in government in the 2015 general election and Hughes lost his seat.
Special Advisers
- Beth Armstrong - adviser to the secretary of state since May 2015. Has worked as an adviser to the Conservative Party, for Michael Gove in the Department for Education and lobbyists Bell Pottinger.
- Henry Cook - adviser to the secretary of state since May 2015. Has worked under Gove in the Department for Education and as a spad to the then deputy chief whip Alistair Carmichael.
- Henry Newman - adviser to the secretary of state since May 2015. Former SpAd to Lord Maude in the Cabinet Office.
Former
- Amy Fisher - was appointed special adviser to Chris Grayling in September 2012. She was former environment secretary Caroline Spelman special adviser. Fisher was formerly communications director at Policy Exchange and worked at Google, where she was responsible for policy communications across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. [4] Still works with Grayling in his new capacity.
- Will Gallagher - special adviser to MoJ from November 2012 to May 2015. Previously worked as chief operating officer at The Shaftesbury Partnership Ltd Gallagher also worked as a general manager at Gallaghers Group. [5] Is now operations director at the National Citizen Service.
Management
- Ursula Brennan - Permanent Secretary
- Ann Beasley - Director General, Finance
- Antonia Romeo - Director General, Criminal Justice
- Matthew Coats - Director General of the Legal Aid Agency & Corporate Services Group
- Catherine Lee - Director General, Law and Access to Justice Group
- Fields Wicker-Miurin (OBE) - Non-executive
- Tim Breedon - Lead Non-executive
- Peter Handcock (CBE ) - Chief Executive, HM Courts & Tribunals Service
- Dame Sue Street (DCB) - Non-executive
- Michael Spurr - Chief Executive, National Offender Management Service
- Bill Griffiths - Non-executive
Contact
Address: 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ Phone: 020 3334 3555 Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ministry of Justice, GOV.UK, accessed 30 September
- ↑ Ministry of Justice launches probe into former commercial staff, Civil Service World, 14 March 2016, accessed same day
- ↑ Josh May, Just Solutions International: NAO mulls investigation into Ministry of Justice's commercial arm, 27 October 2015
- ↑ Matt Cartmell Crosby Textor's Guy Robinson appointed as Defra special adviser PR Week, 21 September 2012, accessed 6 October 2014
- ↑ Will Gallagher LinkedIn profile, accessed 6 October 2014
