Dynamic Treasury solicitor who went on to become the Bank of England's legal adviser
The relationship between the law and politics is a sensitive and complex one. Few understood this vital but difficult union, with all its shades of grey, better than Juliet Wheldon, who has died of cancer aged 63. A phenomenal lawyer and extraordinary woman, she served governments of both persuasions without fear or favour, and with resolve and wisdom, throughout her professional life. Juliet was a robust defender of independent public service and demanded the very highest standards within it. She was also a strong advocate of the rule of law, and the UK's Human Rights Act passed on her watch and under her careful supervision.
In July 2000, she became the first woman to head the Government Legal Service when she was appointed Treasury solicitor, a position she held until 2006. After retiring from the civil service, she became legal adviser to the Bank of England. Again, she was the first woman to do so – a fitting achievement given the way she supported and encouraged other women throughout her career. Such appointments were testament to Juliet's intelligence, leadership and stamina. She was often one of the last to leave the office, and her work ethic was an inspiration to many of her junior colleagues.
Juliet was born in London, daughter of John Wheldon, a director of Courtaulds, and his wife Ursula (nee Caillard). She was educated at Sherborne school for girls in north Dorset and attended Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she read modern history. After graduating with first-class honours in 1971, she converted her degree into law. In 1975 Juliet was called to the bar at Gray's Inn, where she became a bencher in 1999. She initially embarked upon a pupillage in chancery, but her appetite for public law and policy prevailed as she opted for the Government Legal Service over the riches that private practice would no doubt have brought. Why? Her answer was simple: "Because it's so much fun."
In 1983, Juliet joined the law officers' department – now known as the attorney general's office. Following a spell as deputy legal secretary, she moved to become head of the Treasury division. In 1989 she returned to the law officers' department as legal secretary, helping to handle challenges ranging from the "cash for questions" row to Britain's involvement in the Gulf war. Friendly but tough, she perfected the art of giving tricky advice both constructively and persuasively. In 1997 Juliet joined the Home Office, where I was a lawyer during the most formative period of my career. I learned things from her during our time together that still shape my work at Liberty today.
Time and again, Juliet's passion for delivering law and policy shone through – not least when litigation resulting from the extradition request for the former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet appeared on her to-do list. After three years in the Home Office, Juliet was appointed Treasury solicitor and procurator general. At 50, she was the youngest person to hold the post in the modern era. It was at that moment that she was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes but the then cabinet secretary wisely refused her offer to stand aside. Her dynamism energised the Government Legal Service and, after her retirement, her legal mind helped the Bank of England weather the storm of 2008's banking crisis. Having been appointed CB in 1994, she was made a dame in 2004.
Juliet's dedication never hampered her love of travel and she was joined by friends and family for numerous holidays to Italy – Venice, Florence and Rome, especially. She would ignore popular tourist routes in favour of exploration and encounters with people she would otherwise never have met. Unsurprisingly, her research skills were applied as much to holiday itineraries as to the legal advice she gave. Such infectious commitment was equally present in her love of baroque music, Bach in particular, and for opera, theatre and art as well.
Then there's the bicycle. Who can forget the bicycle? For many who frequented Whitehall over the years, the image of Juliet that will linger longest is of her on that old-fashioned two-wheeler – hair and cardigan flailing in the breeze behind her; a basket full of government legal files perched in front. As her career blossomed, people often expected her to arrive by chauffeur-driven car. Not Juliet.
Juliet is survived by her older brother, Michael, and sister-in-law, Charmian, her nieces, Harriet and Vanessa, and nephew, Nicholas, all of whom she was extremely close to. With a natural capacity to make others feel enriched simply by spending time with her, she kept meeting new people to the very end, even as her illness returned, and so also leaves a great many friends. And when I speak to parliamentarians about her, regardless of their political persuasion, I find she was universally respected.
• Juliet Louise Wheldon, lawyer, born 26 March 1950; died 2 September 2013