Government Communications Headquarters legal director Douglas Wilson has been appointed as the next director general of the Attorney General’s Office.
Treasury solicitor Susanna McGibbon said Wilson is an “inspiring leader” who will be an “excellent director general of the AGO and astute adviser to the law officers”.
Wilson joins the AGO after four years as director of legal affairs and head of international relations at GCHQ. Last year he also spent seven months serving as acting director of general strategy at the security and intelligence organisation – which involved oversight of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wilson was previously legal director at the Foreign Office and, before that, head of international and European law at the AGO.
He said he was honoured to be returning to the department as its director general.
“Making law and politics work together at the heart of government, the AGO is an organisation with a reputation for excellence and integrity,” Wilson said.
“I look forward to working with the law officers, Susanna and the many talented public servants in AGO and across the Government Legal Department and wider profession to serve the government, the country and the rule of law.”
Wilson also praised former AGO director general Dame Rowena Collins-Rice for her “public service and stewardship” of the department, and the “sterling work” of interim DG Shehzad Charania.
Collins-Rice stepped down as director general of the AGO last year. Charania became interim DG in September.