About the job

Summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

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 (G7) – HR for the Judiciary, Judicial Office

The Judicial Office was established in 2006, as an arms-length body under the Ministry of Justice, following the implementation of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. Its function is to support the Lord Chief Justice, the Senior President of Tribunals and other senior members of the judiciary in carrying out their statutory functions in upholding the rule of law and in delivering justice impartially, speedily and efficiently. The Judicial Office team includes professional trainers, legal advisers, HR and communication experts, policy makers and administrators.

The Judicial Office HR (JOHR) teams have recently expanded and now include a dedicated policy team. As a result, the Judicial Office is recruiting for a legal adviser to advise the Judicial Office and senior judiciary on both employment and constitutional law. This role offers significant development opportunities for a proactive lawyer with a background in employment law who is looking to broaden their experience. The constitutional position of the judiciary, and their status as office holders rather than employees, make this an exciting and unique role. In addition to the legal requirements of the role, the successful candidate will be involved in wider HR Policy issues which impact on the judiciary.

The successful candidate will be required to provide advice on a wide range of subjects relating to the judiciary, including:

1. proactively identifying legal and constitutional issues and risks relevant to JOHR and the senior judiciary, particularly where those risks cut across different teams, and managing those issues/risks, by the provision of legal advice and via negotiation with others, including the Judicial Office Private Offices, the Ministry of Justice and the Government Legal Department.

2. Providing high quality legal advice to JOHR, that contributes to strategic and policy advice to the senior judiciary.

3. In particular, advising on ongoing JOHR policy development and projects and on wider Judicial office projects, for example around judicial capacity, workforce planning and greater cohesion between the courts and tribunals judiciary, identifying risks and ensuring that judicial independence is properly safeguarded.

4. Supporting Judicial HR senior caseworkers as appropriate where litigation is brought by judicial office holders, particularly in relation to complex matters linked to the status of judicial office holders as appointees, recognising the distinct constitutional position of the judiciary and the need to meet court deadlines.

5. Considering and facilitating appropriate judicial engagement on any government legislative proposals which impact on HR issues for the judiciary.

6. Developing constructive working relationships with the specialist employment teams in the Government Legal Department, lawyers in the Judicial Office Private Offices and lawyers in MoJ.

7. Advising on the statutory appointment framework for Judges.

8. Attending meetings of the relevant governance committees, including with senior Judges.

9. Providing legal training and guidance to JOHR teams.

The successful candidate will be a key member of the JOHR team and will work directly with members of the senior judiciary. An ability to gain the confidence of, and build relationships with, senior Judicial Office Holders and senior officials, and understand the wider policy and constitutional context in which they work, will be crucial. They must be able to influence and manage upwards and speak with authority when dealing with senior officials or judiciary. They will be expected to work with significant autonomy and without direct supervision of their legal advice.

The successful candidate will also be part of the Judicial Office legal team, comprising around 10 lawyers who advise the Senior Judiciary on their constitutional responsibilities. The Judicial Office lawyers come from a variety of backgrounds, and the legal team promotes an ethos of collaborative and supportive working to draw on each other’s experience. The Head of Legal will support the successful candidate to develop their legal skills and career. The role also offers opportunities to be involved in the wider Judicial Office, for example by delivering training and taking an active role in staff groups.

Every effort is made to support flexible working.

Skills and Qualifications:

The successful candidate must be a solicitor, advocate or barrister admitted to one of the jurisdictions of the UK, or be qualified to be admitted as such. Chartered Legal Executives are also eligible (see below). You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment, or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx.

Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved), at CILEx Level 6*, in all of the following seven foundation subjects in law:

• Contract Law

• Criminal Law

• Equity and Trusts Law

• European Union Law

• Land Law

• Public Law

• Law of Tort

Essential criteria – experience in employment law

Desirable criteria – experience in constitutional law.

Candidates will be assessed at sift and interview on the following technical skills and behaviours:

Technical – Legal professional skills:

• Reliable legal judgement and an appreciation of legal risk

• Sound analysis, using secure legal research to produce timely and fit for purpose advice

• An understanding of employment law (essential) and constitutional law (desirable)

Behaviours

Making effective decisions:

• Find the best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks and implications.

• Present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence

Communicating and influencing:

• Deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required.

• Communicate with others in a clear, honest and enthusiastic way in order to build trust.

• Explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand.

Delivering at pace

• Ensure everyone clearly understands and owns their roles, responsibilities and business priorities.

• Ensure delivery of timely quality outcomes, through providing the right resources to do the job, reviewing and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success.

• Maintain own levels of performance in challenging circumstances and encourage others to do the same.

Technical 1

Legal professional skills:

- reliable legal judgement and an appreciation of legal risk

- sound analysis, using secure research to produce timely and fit for purpose advice

- an understanding of employment law (essential) and constitutional law (deisirable)

Responsibilities

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

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

• Please refer to Job Description