Dame Elizabeth Gardiner DCB KC (Hon) becomes patron of PBS

12 April 2023

We are pleased to announce that Dame Elizabeth Gardiner DCB KC (Hon), First Parliamentary Counsel and Permanent Secretary of the Government in Parliament Group in the Cabinet Office, has accepted an invitation to become patron of PBS.

Dame Elizabeth started at the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in 1991 and worked as a legislative drafter and then team leader in the Office until her promotion to First Parliamentary Counsel and Permanent Secretary in 2015.

Dame Elizabeth has worked on a wide range of legislative projects, including on consolidation bills, law reform and tax legislation. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of Bath in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to government and the legislative process.

Dame Elizabeth said: “University law clinics play a vital role in ensuring people can exercise and protect their rights. Students supporting their local communities also have a great opportunity to hone their skills for their future careers. PBS is such a clever concept. By harnessing the expertise of the wider legal profession to ensure students have access to free quality training from legal experts, PBS enables those carrying on this important pro bono work to have the maximum impact. I am therefore absolutely delighted to become a patron.”

Ryan Whelan, Founder and Co-chair of PBS, said: “We are thrilled, privileged and grateful to welcome Dame Elizabeth as patron. A truly extraordinary lawyer who shares our passion for pro bono, legal education and creative problem solving, Dame Elizabeth is the perfect fit for PBS and we hope that our organisation will prove worthy of her generous endorsement.”