With the end of 2016 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top officials to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2017 – and shed some light on their festive favourites. Rowena Collins Rice, director general at the Attorney General's Office, takes part in our annual perm secs round-up
What was your highlight of 2016?
The AGO vision is about "making law and politics work together at the heart of the UK constitution". 2016 has been a standout year for that. Plenty of both in Brexit, of course, not to mention the significant policy interests we share with our CPS partners. Our ministers have been much in demand lately, and it's been exciting for the AGO leadership team and private office to step up with them.
What has been the most significant change in your department this year?
Paralegals – an AGO first. Our unduly lenient sentence referral practice continues to break all records. We've experimented with the mix in our litigation team to give increased resilience and fire-power to the important and specialist range of court-related work we do on behalf of the public every day. It's worked a treat, and brought a real breath of fresh air to the whole office.
What will be the biggest challenge of 2017 – and how are you preparing to meet it?
The court challenge to the government's right to trigger Article 50 and begin the Brexit process at the international law level is making legal history. But one way or another, that process is about to get under way. Did I mention there was a lot of law in Brexit? Together with our colleagues in the GLD and the wider government legal profession, we make up a formidable expert task force to support the government in making a success of it. To the Supreme Court – and (even more importantly) beyond.
What was the best Christmas present that you’ve ever given or received? And the worst?
Best: anything made by one of the children at school.
Worst: see above.
More: Perm secs round-up 2016 – Britain's top civil servants review the year and look ahead to 2017