Masters of the Bench

Sir Suma has been the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, and Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, since November 2007.   Prior to this he was the Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development (DfID).  From 1996 to late 2001 Suma worked in the Treasury and at the Cabinet Office, where he set up and led the Prime Minister’s Performance and Innovation Unit and went on to head the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat at the Cabinet Office.  In 2002 he returned to DfID as Permanent Secretary.  His Call to the Bench brings to four the number of serving Permanent Secretaries on the Inn’s Bench, alongside Masters Jenkins, Laws and Bethlehem.