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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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About the job
Job summary
Are you a talented barrister or solicitor looking to progress your career and take the next step into criminal law?
The crown prosecutor position is our entry level lawyer role, ideal if youre a newly qualified lawyers or have no criminal law experience. You are based in the magistrates court, working with prosecution teams to review and present evidence in a range of criminal cases from motoring offences and burglary to drugs offences and common assault. Your work is challenging, varied and rewarding. You have the opportunity to make a real difference in society and to secure justice for victims and witnesses of crime.
Crown prosecutors attend court in person for most of the working week. You benefit from a wealth of exposure and experience in the criminal court, furthering your criminal justice system knowledge and potential personal progression.
The CPS is committed to the professional growth of our workforce from the outset, and we have created clear paths of progression to support prosperous careers. You benefit from a structured induction training plan, an individual learning account and opportunities to shadow colleagues across the organisation. You are fully supported in your progression with access to promotion opportunities including our senior crown prosecutor roles, aimed at lawyers with criminal law experience.
Find out more at CPS careers, cps.gov.uk/careers-cps
Job description
Subject to the postholder satisfying the general qualification provision within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services 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
- To advise police and other investigators in a range of preliminary, straightforward and contested casework. You prepare for prosecutions in summary and either-way matters heard in the magistrates court.
To decide, based on the evidence, whether prosecutions should proceed or be discontinued in summary and either-way matters.
You must be appropriately able to explain decisions to magistrates, counsel including defence, witnesses, the police and other appropriate agencies.
To work effectively as part of a multiskilled team and provide support to associate prosecutors, legal trainees and other crown prosecutors in case preparation and generally. You must consider the needs of others, particularly victims and witnesses, in drawing up casework plans.
Qualifications
Academic: Law degree, Common Professional Examination, Graduate Diploma in Law.
Professional: Legal Practice Course, Solicitors Qualifying Exam 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
CILEx: The post holder must be a Fellow of CILEx, and in addition be a CILEx Advocate/Litigator holding all three advocacy certificates providing them with a general qualification within the meaning of s.71 (3) (c) Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. Therefore, the holder must have a right of audience in relation to any class of proceedings in any part of the Senior Courts, or all proceedings in county courts or magistrates’ courts in order to meet the requirements for a Crown Prosecutor specified by section 1 Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.
Please note that if you do not hold the above CILEx qualification you are not eligible to apply for this vacancy.
If youre unsure whether you have qualified through CILEx please contact us 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 NationalLawyerRecruitment@cps.gov.uk
Please note, the eligibility criteria stated above needs to be met by Monday 11th December 2023. Therefore, if you are able to obtain a valid Practicing Certificate and will be fully qualified by above stated date, you are eligible to apply for this campaign
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:
- Law Degree or Common Professional Examination/Graduate Diploma in Law
- Legal Practice Course, Solicitors Qualifying Exam or Bar Vocational Course/Bar Professional Training Course
Have completed the relevant pupillage / training contract
- Qualified Barrister or Solicitor/training contract
- Motivation
- Legal Intellect
Benefits
£10,465 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 Opportunity
CPS is passionate about ensuring that we are a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We are a committed equal opportunities employer, creating a culture where everyone can bring their whole self to work, and individuality is truly appreciated.
We want to ensure all our prosecutors can thrive at work and home, and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes flexible working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment, which means that where you work (a court, an office, or a remote setting such as your home) is 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.
The CPS commits to offer its employees the following experience.
You can do impactful, purposeful work thats making a difference to your local communities.
You are able to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources.
We care about your wellbeing.
We want you 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 to mark the Kings birthday
competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
flexible working and a family friendly approach to work
childcare vouchers.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application:
CV
Please upload an up-to-date CV which should include your:
career history with key responsibilities
skills and experience
achievements
qualifications.
You need to attach your CV as one document. Although it wont be marked, it provides the panel with an insight into your work history and experience.
Please note, its your responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that youre considered for the post.
Personal data
In line with GDPR, do NOT send us any information that can identify children, or any of your own sensitive personal data such as racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning health or sex life and sexual orientation, genetic and/or biometric data in your CV and application documentation.
Assessment and interview
- Legal assessment
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you are invited to an online Microsoft Teams meeting to complete a legal-based assessment, present your answers and respond to follow-up questions.
- Final interview
If you pass the legal assessment, youre invited to a Microsoft Teams meeting where youre interviewed by a CPS panel to assess your suitability for the role.
If youre invited to an assessment you are provided general research pointers in advance. The assessment and interview are both held on Microsoft Teams. Please refer to the candidate pack for scheduled dates.
Dates advertised may be subject to change. And it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. Please note the timetable and show some flexibility through the recruitment and selection process to meet the dates given.
You book your own assessment and interview slot through Civil Service Jobs. Once youve selected your preferred time slot, we send you a Microsoft Teams link.
If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let the team know as soon as possible. Otherwise, we wont be able to accommodate them on the day.
Applications may be submitted in Welsh. Please contact us at NationalLawyerRecruitment@cps.gov.uk if you want your interview and assessment to be carried out in Welsh.
Merit List and Deployment of Offers
Candidates are invited to provide three office location preferences from the list provided. If you are successful, we will exclusively offer using your choices in the first instance.
If invited to interview; your assessment and interview panel will be determined using your first preference of location. We are using a locational (localised) merit list system of appointment and offers will be made based on the merit order of each CPS Area interviewed for e.g. Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton or Lincoln would be CPS East Midlands. This means the highest rated candidate will be appointed from the region in which the vacancy has arisen. This means that even if you have scored higher than the candidate being selected, you will not be selected as you are not within the region with the vacancy.
Waiting list
After these appointments have been fulfilled under the locational merit list process, the remaining candidates who have successfully passed their assessments will remain on a waiting list for 12 months.
This would be in the instance where all the posts are filled for your first choice preference and you therefore are placed on the waiting list. In this instance, there may be opportunities remaining for your further location preferences or other locations around the organisation. In this instance you may be approached for one of these further locations which may sit outside of your initial preference.
If a candidate is offered a position that they are unable to accept they can remain on the waiting list and may be offered a position for their location preference should one become available, however the waiting list will expire 12 months after the interviews take place and positions for candidates first preference cannot be guaranteed.
Timeline
Please refer to candidate pack for the scheduled timeline.
Meet & Engage Sessions
We will be holding a series of webchats whilst the campaign is live. This is chance for you to ask any questions you may have around the role or recruitment, and you can register for these via the links below
- Thursday 28 September at 4pm – SCP:https://meetandengage.com/almj8w3p0
- Thursday 11 October at 4pm – CP & SCP:https://meetandengage.com/almj8ztm6
Other
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.
Civil Service Commissioners
Written feedback and comments will only be provided to those at the interview stage and 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/
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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 : National Lawyer Recruitment Team
- Email : NationalLawyerRecruitment@cps.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : strategic.resourcing@cps.gov.uk
