Legal Adviser to the Senior Presiding Judge and Chancellor of the High Court (Ref: 80614)

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Legal Adviser to the Senior Presiding Judge and Chancellor of the High Court

Organisation

• The Judicial Office is a unique branch of the civil service, independent from the machinery which supports the Government, and dedicated to supporting the judiciary as the third arm of the state. We promote and safeguard judicial independence to maintain confidence in the rule of law. We are answerable not to Ministers but instead, through our Chief Executive, to the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales (LCJ) and the Senior President of Tribunals as we help them to fulfil their responsibilities to the judiciary.
• We support c.22,000 judicial office holders, providing policy, legal and handling advice and operational support. This includes advice on judicial leadership, support with relationships with Government and Parliament, assistance with justice sector reform, judicial education and training, comms and HR.

Role

• This is an exciting opportunity to work directly with the Senior Presiding Judge (SPJ) (Sir Andrew Edis), the Chancellor of the High Court (CHC) (Sir Julian Flaux) and other members of the senior judiciary, advising on their responsibilities flowing from the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and other legislation.
• The post-holder will be based primarily within the Judicial Private Offices. They will be line-managed by the Legal Adviser to the Lady Chief Justice, but will work with a significant degree of autonomy.
• The SPJ has wide-ranging responsibilities in relation to the appointment, deployment and welfare of courts Judges. He is also the judicial lead for operational issues affecting the running of the courts.  The post-holder will provide the SPJ with high-quality and timely legal advice on the exercise of these responsibilities, liaising closely with the Judicial HR team.
• The CHC presides over the eight Business and Property Court Regions, with the support of two Supervising High Court Judges. The work of the Business and Property Courts (B&PCs) underpins the position of English law as the global business law of choice with decisions having a wide impact in financial, business, commodities, insurance, shipping and other markets. The post-holder will also advise the CHC on his statutory leadership functions, and provide support as needed to the Judges of the Business and Property Courts.
• The successful candidate will need to gain the confidence of, and build relationships with, senior judicial office holders and officials in the Ministry of Justice. An appreciation of the wider constitutional position of the judiciary, and the wider context of the justice system, will be crucial.
• Specific responsibilities are likely to include:

Selection Criteria

Essential qualifications

• Be qualified as a solicitor, barrister or legal executive in England and Wales and hold a current practising certificate (unless exempt) or be able to obtain one.

Technical Legal Skills (500 words)

• Expertise in or an understanding of public law and constitutional law.
• Familiarity with employment law (desirable but not essential)
• Reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risk: identify and explain legal options, giving a steer as appropriate, and extract key legal issues.
• Ability to provide high quality legal advice (both written and oral) against the backdrop of the wider policy and operational context, with little formal legal supervision.

Behaviours

During the application process you will also be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Should we receive a large number of applications we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Communicating and Influencing. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Interview

The above technical skills and behaviours will be tested at interview, alongside strengths-based questions that are not shared in advance.

You can refer to the Civil Service Strengths dictionary for more details.

Candidates invited to interview will also be required to do a short presentation or scenario test.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Legal Skills
  • Expertise in or an understanding of public law and constitutional law.
  • Familiarity with employment law (desirable but not essential)
  • Reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risk: identify and explain legal options, giving

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
• Telephone : 0845 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com