Lawyer - Civil

Details

Reference number

Salary

£49,870 – £57,338

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Other

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Legal Services

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Remote working (anywhere in the UK)

About the job

Job summary

From time to time, a criminal case ends with a wrongful conviction or sentence –there may have been errors at trial – or fresh evidence may have emerged.

Sometimes there are developments in the law that require matters to be reassessed in the light of modern standards of fairness.

• Can you research and advise on issues of civil law and evidence?
• Can you design and deliver training to keep colleagues updated on developments in the legal system?
• Could you contribute to responding to litigation including judicial reviews?

If the answers are yes, then this could be the start of an incredibly rewarding career – the work you do with us can transform lives and ensure justice is finally achieved.

We\’re looking for a lawyer to join us on a permanent basis. The role is varied and intellectually challenging. You\’ll need to be analytical, articulate, resilient and proactive. You must be able to juggle competing priorities, planning your work to ensure you give reliable and practical advice whilst ensuring that litigation timetables are kept to.

You will be part of our legal team supporting Commissioners and Case Review Managers in the exercise of statutory powers, decision-making processes, and procedural fairness in line with public law relevant in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This includes designing and delivering a continuous learning programme that ensures colleagues are updated on key cases and new legislation through modules and resources that develop knowledge of the law and legal skills.

You will also be asked to consider requests made in relation the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act as well as assisting with challenges to the CCRC\’s decisions by way of judicial review, drafting defences where appropriate.

So, if you enjoy variety, helping colleagues and have an interest in miscarriages of justice, we\’d be delighted to hear from you

Job description

Under the supervision of the In-House Counsel the Lawyer is responsible for:

LEGAL ADVICE

• Undertake legal research and provide oral and written advice in relation to aspects of civil law.
• Support and challenge Commissioners and staff on legal issues arising in casework.
• Provide oral and written advice on the CCRC\’s statutory powers.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Support the CCRC\’s training programme for the Casework team through devising and delivering internal training and participating in outreach work
• Keep up to date with developing law, practice and policy
• Help maintain and update internal guidance to ensure that material remains relevant, accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive
• Help maintain the CCRC\’s legal library (to include electronic databases)
• Maintain CPD through internal and external events
• Providing interns with appropriate support, mentoring and coaching

LITIGATION (JUDICIAL REVIEW)

• Assess the merits of challenges to the Commission\’s decisions
• Make recommendations to the InHouse Counsel as to the appropriate course of action
• Draft effective responses to pre-action correspondence and claims
• Liaise with external counsel as appropriate
• Alongside the In-House Counsel, develop strategies to reduce instances of judicial review and identifying any learning points
• Manage financial expenditure effectively

POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

• Providing responses to stakeholders
• Assist in drafting submissions and responses to national consultations
• Develop, review and update policy
• Ensure compliance with the CCRC\’s obligations on disclosure, security and confidentiality of information.
• Assist with compliance on data protection and human rights
  legislation

OTHER

• To undertake other duties which may be necessary to ensure the CCRC\’s effective operation, which are in keeping with the nature of the post and business needs.

Person specification

Essential

• Lead: Solicitor or Barrister, with a minimum of three years\’ post-qualification experience gained within civil litigation law.
• Experience of providing legal advice.
• Practical knowledge and the ability to quickly acquire knowledge of new areas
• Ability to draft a variety of legal and non-legal documentation to a high standard.
• Demonstrable legal research skills.
• Strong analytical and legal research skills, including experience of analysing complex legal, factual and evidential issues and data, quickly identifying the critical issues and identifying where there is insufficient information and taking appropriate action.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, reflecting the need to deal with colleagues, litigants, members of the public and legal professionals.
• Competency in the use of up-to-date IT equipment and packages to include Microsoft suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships.
• Ability to work remotely.

Desirable

• Experience of dealing with one or more of the following: judicial reviews, information rights and public inquiries.
• Experience of remote working.
• Experience of dealing with some difficult, serious and sensitive cases

Qualifications

Must currently have, or have previously held, a practicing certificate as a Solicitor or Barrister within England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Behaviours

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

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

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,870, Criminal Cases Review Commission contributes £14,447 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We offer a wide range of benefits, including flexible working options. You can also look forward to:

• A Civil Service pension – this will see us making a significant contribution to your pension fund
• 29 days\’ annual leave allowance (pro rata), in addition to eight statutory