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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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About the job
Job summary
CPS Proceeds of Crime Division is delighted to advertise the role of Specialist Prosecutor.
Please note, there are two roles available as per the below:
1. Specialist Prosecutor (General) can be based in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, or Swansea.
The purpose of this role is to advise on and prepare specialist cases for asset recovery, working alongside the prosecution teams. The postholder will be required to consider cases fairly in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors assessing the risks posed to victims and the public. The postholder will be expected to deal with our most complex and sensitive casework in partnership with other members of the CPS and external stakeholders.
2. Specialist Prosecutor (Regional Asset Recovery Team) can be based in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, but weekly travel to Leeds will be required.
The purpose of this role is to advise on and prepare specialist cases for the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, with a focus on asset recovery investigations conducted by police and financial investigators in one of the Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCU). The postholder will be required to travel to and work from police premises at the relevant ROCU.
Candidates will be asked to stipulate their preference of post on their application, and offers will be made in merit order in line with preferences. However, please note it is not guaranteed that you will be offered your preference of post.
Please note, the following is considered essential experience for this role:
Extensive experience of criminal and/or civil litigation in the higher courts and breadth of exposure to complex cases, the law relating to disclosure, and the handling of sensitive information.
Experience of:
– Drafting complex legal documents;
– Conducting complex legal and factual analysis;
– Dealing with expert evidence;
– Managing contested casework/litigation with multiple parties.
Confidence dealing with complex and voluminous numerical data.
Please note, the following is considered desirable experience for this post:
Proven legal experience in all aspects of proceeds of crime work, with depth and breadth of exposure to complex proceeds of crime casework.
A thorough and up to date knowledge of mutual legal assistance relating to the preservation of assets and the enforcement of confiscation orders in respect of both incoming and international requests.
Experience of serious criminal casework.
Experience of drafting briefings, delivering presentations and training.
For further information on how to apply, please see the Candidate Pack at the bottom of this page.
Job description
The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division (CPS POCD) is at the forefront of the fight against economic crime, ensuring that criminal assets are restrained and confiscated so that criminals do not benefit from their ill-gotten gains.
We also work with law enforcement colleagues to use civil forfeiture powers to target unexplained wealth.
We work with foreign governments to repatriate funds to the UK as well as restraining and returning money abroad where it is derived from overseas criminal activity. CPS POCD also handles civil litigation arising out of the exercise of the prosecutorial functions of the CPS.
The post holder will be an expert or develop an expertise in proceeds of crime work. They will build, develop and maintain operational relationships with local criminal justice partners. They will be responsible for asset recovery litigation on the most complex and sensitive cases within the Division.
Applicants should pay particular attention to the Technical and Experience accountabilities required for the post.
Subject to the postholder satisfying the general qualification provision within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Service Act 1990, the post is designated by the Director of Public Prosecutions as a Crown Prosecutor under the terms of section 1 (3) of the prosecution of Offences Act (1985).
Person specification
- Provide legal and practical advice on asset recovery strategies to police officers and financial investigators with regard to complex money laundering investigations and other acquisitive crimes throughout the investigation and prosecution stages.
- Provide advice to prosecutors and caseworkers in CPS Areas, offering support, guidance and advice, collaborating as a team member.
- Undertake assigned complex investigations and casework, including analysis of complex evidence and application of complex legal provisions to devise appropriate litigation strategies.
- Support advocates in all asset recovery hearings by drafting the appropriate high-quality applications, legal arguments and other documentation in support of those hearings.
- Conduct effective stakeholder engagement including delivering training and building effective partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
- Conduct cases in enforcement courts and, where the post holder has the appropriate Higher Court Advocacy (HCA) qualifications, conduct contested and non-contested restraint and confiscation hearings.
- Prepare Letters of Request (LORs) to foreign jurisdictions to ensure assets outside of the UK are located, restrained or confiscated.
- Deal with incoming international requests as required, providing advice and support to foreign jurisdictions.
- Draft applications for receiverships, including the selection of receivers from a panel, and oversee receiverships in allocated casework.
- Draft high-quality briefings for senior CPS leaders on casework and associated matters e.g., FOIA requests, media briefings, parliamentary questions etc.
Qualifications
Academic: Law degree, Common Professional Examination, Graduate Diploma in Law.
Professional: Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course and have completed the relevant pupillage and training contract (or have received full exemption from the relevant professional regulatory body, either the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board).
OR
If you have qualified through Cilex could you please contact us in order to establish your eligibility for this role.
If you apply AND are found not to possess any of the above any offer of employment will be withdrawn, or contract terminated.
Please note the qualification as stated is required for this role and equivalent qualifications will not be accepted.
If you are unsure about your eligibility please contact strategic.resourcing@cps.gov.uk
Memberships
If CILEx qualified, must hold a general qualification within the meaning of s.71 (3) (c) Courts and Legal Services Act 1990.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- The post holder must be a qualified practising solicitor or barrister, possessing a law degree or Common Professional Examination, having completed a Legal Practice Course or the Bar Vocational Course and the relevant pupillage and have a current pract
Benefits
£15,668 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Join the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and have a future that matters: Find Your Purpose
CPS is passionate about ensuring that we are a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We are committed to be an equal opportunities employer and creating a culture where everyone can bring their whole self to work and individuality is truly appreciated.
We want to ensure all our employees can thrive at work and home and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes where possible, flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment, which means that where you work (i.e. a court, an office, or a remote setting such as your home) will be based on the kind of work you are undertaking.
This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering Disability, Faith and Belief, LGBTQI+, Race, Social Mobility alongside our Mental Health First Aiders Programme and Wellbeing Sessions.
CPS commits to offer its employees the following experience
Impactful, purposeful work making a difference to your local communities
The ability to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources
To care about your wellbeing
To feel valued, trusted and included
We also offer the following range of benefits:
Civil Service Pension
Access to employee savings
Cycle2Work scheme
25 days leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years service.
1 extra privilege day entitlement to mark the Kings Birthday.
Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
Flexible working and a family friendly approach to work.
Childcare vouchers unless already registered with the Government Tax Free Childcare Scheme)
The CPS has also designed a range of Management Development Programme to support all Aspiring, New and Experienced Managers in developing the skills, behaviour and knowledge to build their confidence and capability. We strongly recommend that all new managers undertake the Manager Induction.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
The recruitment process will consist of an online application, CV upload, assessment and interview.
The assessment will be sent out on the 8th of November and candidates will be required to return this on the 13th of November. Please note, candidates must pass the assessment to proceed to the final stage of the recruitment process which will consist of an interview that is likely to be held on week commencing 27 November 2023.
Your interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with further guidance. If you have any queries about this please contact the CPS Recruitment Team at Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk
You should keep these dates free or notify us if you are not available. We will make every effort to accommodate you in your preference for dates; however we cannot guarantee that they will be met.
The successful applicant will be required to secure DBS & SC clearance; to speed up this process; you should bring 3 forms of ID with you on the day of interview. Data gathered from unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed in accordance with our Data Retention Policy.
If successful in obtaining an interview you will be asked to complete the Character Enquiry Form, Nationality and Immigration Questionnaire and National Security Vetting Form.
(If you are an internal member of staff, you will not be required to undergo this DBS check as you will already hold this clearance)
Meet and Engage Session
Whilst the campaign is live, members from the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division will host a meet & engage session via MS Teams. This is an opportunity for candidates to ask any questions they may have relating to the roles advertised. The time and date of the session is noted below as well as the link required to attend the session.
Time & Date Wednesday 11th of October 2023 17:00 17:45
Session Link:
CV (Upload)
You will be required to upload an up-to-date CV which should display the essential experience and include the below information:
Career history with key responsibilities
Skills and experience
Achievements
Qualifications
You will need to attach your anonymised CV as one document, this should be up to a maximum of 2 A4 pages long. We ask that you do not provide personal details which could identify you i.e. name/ age/ home address.
Please note that it is the candidates responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that they are considered for the post.
Other
This is a full-time post. However, requests for flexible, part-time working and job share will be considered, considering at all times the operational needs of the Department.
This role will be in line with our hybrid working principles which are:
- Attending with Purpose – Considering where we work, whether at court, in the office or at home we focus on the needs of our role, team and Service and the positive benefits to best support business outcomes.
- Focused on Wellbeing – Supporting our own and others wellbeing enables us to thrive through inclusive working practices and environments.
- Collaboration is Key – Recognising that collaboration is integral to how we learn, grow and develop, together we prioritise innovation and problem solving, to achieve shared objectives.
Therefore, this will mean it will be a mixture of home working, office working and travelling to courts, how this is split will depend upon the business needs and your role within the organisation.
We would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.
Waiting List
Candidates who are recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy will be placed on a waiting list for 12 months and may be offered another post, should any further vacancies for a Specialist Prosecutor arise in the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division during this period. CPS may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other CPS Proceeds of Crime Division roles requiring similar knowledge and experience.
Excess Fares
Please note excess fares will not apply.
Fair Processing Notice (FPN)
From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details name, National Insurance Number and date of birth – will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.
Current Civil Servants
Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;
Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action
Civil Service Commissioners
From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details name, National Insurance Number and date of birth – will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.
Feedback will not be provided until the vacancy is complete
If you are dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.
If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commissioners complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/
Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles can be found here
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/
Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Isaac Quinn
- Email : Isaac.Quinn@cps.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk
