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Richard Heaton has been appointed Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice. Currently Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office and First Parliamentary Counsel, he will replace Ursula Brennan who retires in the summer. Called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 1988, he joined the Home Office three years later and has held a number of legal roles within government, including at the Lord Chancellor’s Department. He was appointed Head of Legal Services in the Department of Constitutional Affairs before moving to the Department for Work and Pensions and then the Department of Health.
Richard Heaton has been appointed Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice. Currently Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office and First Parliamentary Counsel, he will replace Ursula Brennan who retires in the summer. Called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 1988, he joined the Home Office three years later and has held a number of legal roles within government, including at the Lord Chancellor’s Department. He was appointed Head of Legal Services in the Department of Constitutional Affairs before moving to the Department for Work and Pensions and then the Department of Health.
Chair of the Bar reflects on 2025
AlphaBiolabs has donated £500 to The Christie Charity through its Giving Back initiative, helping to support cancer care, treatment and research across Greater Manchester, Cheshire and further afield
Q&A with criminal barrister Nick Murphy, who moved to New Park Court Chambers on the North Eastern Circuit in search of a better work-life balance
Revolt Cycling in Holborn, London’s first sustainable fitness studio, invites barristers to join the revolution – turning pedal power into clean energy
Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, reflects on how the company’s Giving Back ethos continues to make a difference to communities across the UK
By Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
Are you ready for the new way to do tax returns? David Southern KC explains the biggest change since HMRC launched self-assessment more than 30 years ago... and its impact on the Bar
Professor Dominic Regan and Seán Jones KC present their best buys for this holiday season
Oscar Davies shares their lessons learnt
Little has changed since Burns v Burns . Cohabiting couples deserve better than to be left on the blasted heath with the existing witch’s brew for another four decades, argues Christopher Stirling
Pointillism, radical politics and social conscience. Review by Stephen Cragg KC
