Government Legal Service for Northern Ireland
A Government Legal Service for Northern Ireland (GLSNI) was established in April 2007.
GLSNI is an umbrella for lawyers working in the Departmental Solicitor’s Office (DSO), the Crown Solicitor’s Office (CSO) and some other legal units.
The DSO provides advice and service to NICS departments, while the CSO works with the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and UK Departments operating in Northern Ireland.
While not an organisational merger, it brings together over 100 Government lawyers, networked in a way which improves career development, training and responses to central initiatives. It also increases the sense of corporacy between Government lawyers in Northern Ireland, raising their profile in the administration and providing a sharper focus on the challenges of the future.
The establishment of a GLSNI involved the members of the participating units, the NIO, DFP and OFMDFM. Government Legal Services already exist for lawyers in Government Departments in England and Scotland.
