Queen's Birthday Honours: Solicitor from Manuden who helped to draft Covid-19 pandemic law named a dame
A solicitor who helped draft the Government's coronavirus pandemic legislation has been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath (DCB) in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Elizabeth Gardiner, who lives in Manuden, was the first ever woman to be appointed to her current post of First Parliamentary Counsel when she landed the job in November 2015. She is now one of the country's leading civil servants.
She was made a dame for her services to government and the legislative process, and said: "It was a lovely surprise, although I'm still getting used to the idea!
"It is obviously a huge honour to have my work recognised in this way. I work with a fantastic team of fellow civil servants who really care about the quality of our law, and I hope they all feel a bit of a share in this honour."
She had been appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Dame Elizabeth, 55, was born in Thurso in Caithness, Scotland, and moved to Bishop's Stortford in 1995 with her husband, a retired City of London police officer who now works for the police in a civilian capacity. The couple then moved to Manuden in 2007 and have a son and a daughter who attended Bishop's Stortford College.
She read law at the University of Edinburgh – which was "something of a happy accident", she told the Indie.
"I chose law because it looked interesting and I didn't want to pursue any of the subjects I'd studied at school. Fortunately, I really enjoyed my chosen course. I think my family would say I enjoy a good argument/discussion – always a helpful trait in a lawyer.
"I'd never heard of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel until I saw the job advert in 1991. Parliamentary counsel are the civil servants who draft the Government's law and support its passage through Parliament. I just thought the job looked interesting and very quickly found I loved the work and the close interaction between politics and the law and being part of the public service."
She was appointed when David Cameron was Prime Minister and has served under Theresa May and Boris Johnson during legislative preparations for Brexit.
"The nature of the work means Parliamentary counsel are frequently involved in the key issues of the day. So I've been lucky to be involved in lots of interesting projects along the way covering a wide range of topics – everything from matters of high politics to small changes to the law of very niche interest.
"Over the last few years the work has been dominated by preparations for European Union exit, and more recently we've drafted a number of laws in response to the pandemic."
But Dame Elizabeth's favourite project was rather different.
"One of the most interesting and satisfying projects I worked on created the coastal footpath around England – something that I hoped would be enjoyed by generations to come," she said.
Her love of nature is also evident in her work as a trustee of the Gardens of Easton Lodge for the past two years. The grade II listed landmark is being lovingly restored by a team of dedicated volunteers.
Dame Elizabeth said: "I went to the gardens in the 1990s when my children were small, and then revisited a few years ago on one of the regular open days and saw the amazing transformation that had been brought about by the trust and the wonderful team of volunteers who work in the gardens.
"It's really a very special place to have right on our doorstep. Working full-time, I'm not able to volunteer regularly in the gardens, but when I saw they were advertising for new trustees I put my hat in the ring."
Her other interests include walking and the outdoors – including visiting other gardens for inspiration. She added: "During lockdown, I've taken up running – much to my family's surprise!"
Dame Elizabeth and her husband are members of the fellowship at Water Lane United Reformed Church in Bishop's Stortford.
