Assistant Secretary to the Civil Justice Council (Ref: 14804)

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

The Judicial Office (JO) reports to, and is accountable, to the Lady Chief Justice (LCJ). It was established in 2006 to provide support to the LCJ and to the wider judiciary in upholding the rule of law and in delivering justice impartially, speedily and efficiently, following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The JO is an interesting and unique place to work. Everything we do is in support of upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. We work closely with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and others across Government as well as with the legal professions.

We are an Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. This creates an interesting and complex environment in which to work where we agree our priorities with the senior judiciary and receive our funding to deliver them from the Ministry of Justice. The Judicial Office has been through a period of significant growth resulting from an expansion of our remit and responsibilities.

See JO staff talk about working here: https://design102.wistia.com/medias/uhgtmbtnlv

This position is eligible for hybrid working (current minimum requirement for time spent at base location is 60%, which is subject to business requirements).

The support provided by judicial Private Offices necessarily involves working before and after court, in keeping with the judge’s diary commitments and sitting patterns. Some early mornings and late evenings can be expected, though every effort will be made to accommodate flexibility where necessary. These roles are not suitable for reduced hours working.

This post is based in the Royal Courts of Justice, London

A unique opportunity to help shape the future of the civil justice system and contribute to the work of the Civil Justice Council, a key advisory body to the government and judiciary. This role offers the scope to demonstrate and develop broad policy making skills in an area of significant impact; civil justice affects the lives of all, and its continued reform and improvement is integral to our society. You will facilitate, encourage, and lead thinking by supporting the delivery of a wide range of projects and research.

The Civil Justice Council is a statutory advisory body, chaired by the Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice. The Council considers how to make the Civil Justice system more accessible, fair, and efficient. To fulfil its statutory functions, the Council operates primarily by establishing Working Groups to look at a particular issue, or part of the civil justice system. These Working Groups undertake consultations and research to make informed authoritative recommendations, usually in the form of a report, for others to take forward.

The successful applicant will join the team at an exciting time for the Council. With our annual strategy cycle beginning in February, and greater than ever scrutiny and support from Government and Parliament. Our work regularly informs developments in the justice system; some examples of our recent work include a groundbreaking report examining how the Civil Courts approach mental capacity, a report on litigation funding that precipitated significant legislative reversal, and an interim report on the use of AI in the preparation of court documents. For more details about the Council’s current work, please visit our website: https://www.judiciary.uk/related-offices-and-bodies/advisory-bodies/cjc/. Our work truly reflects the breadth of the civil jurisdiction.

You will occupy a critical position in helping the Council to operate. The Council has significant autonomy in fulfilling its role. You will need to make and maintain strong working relationships with members of the judiciary, officials, academics, lawyers, and other diverse stakeholders in the civil justice system, so that you can work with them to achieve the Council’s objectives. It is integral to the role that you are able to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Your responsibilities will be varied and broad; they will include helping to plan Council meetings and events, undertaking research, drafting papers, and briefings. You will take the lead for the administration of specific Working Groups, helping them to report to the full Council. The previous job holder successfully supported projects on Litigation Funding, Digital Disadvantage and the Solicitor’s Act.

Collaboration and teamwork are essential to this role. You will work closely with the other members of the Secretariat team to support the Council. Subject to the work of the Council, the role may offer the opportunity to task manage or line manage.

You will become a recognised figure within Civil Justice, and you will be expected to develop and maintain your own knowledge of developments and trends across the wider Civil Justice system. As the lead official for Working Groups, you will help ensure that Council’s work engages appropriately across Government.

The Secretariat, and this post, form a part of the wider Master of the Rolls’ Private Office. You will have access to the broader opportunities and experience that working as part of a busy Private Office brings.

The role offers excellent opportunities to work on cutting edge projects alongside some of the country’s leading experts. The post offers significant exposure to policy making and delivery. This role offers an unrivalled opportunity to build a network across the breadth of Civil Justice. The Council is a unique organisation which brings together the civil service, judiciary, and wider legal world.

Specific responsibilities:

Your responsibilities will include:

• Council working groups on particular workstreams, including conducting research and analysis where needed and providing Secretariat support.
• Supporting the Master of the Rolls in his capacity as Chair of the Council, including providing regular updates on working group activity.
• Leading on Council member updates and correspondence.
• Leading on production of the Council’s annual report, and supporting the wider governance arrangements of the Council.
• Supporting e delivery of quarterly in-person Council meetings and the Council’s annual National Forum.
• Representing the work of the Council within government and the wider justice system.
• Supporting the wider work of the Master of the Rolls’ Private Office, including accompanying our principal judges to meetings as appropriate.
• There may be opportunities for line management.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills

The successful candidate will be organised, strategic and be able to prioritise and handle multiple issues concurrently. The best candidates are likely to be able to demonstrate experience of taking on an integral role within a similar small team.

The role requires excellent and concise communication skills and the post holder must be able to perform this independently and at a high level. The best candidates are likely to be able to demonstrate that they can independently engage with senior officials and stakeholders.

Part of the enjoyment and challenge of working in a Private Office is that work is occasionally fast paced and unpredictable. It will be important that the job holder is willing and able to be flexible in the tasks they take on and on occasion the hours that they work.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills

The strongest applicants are likely to have proven experience of drafting, committee work, teamwork, communication and influencing skills, and creative policy thinking.

Knowledge of the Civil Justice System, and the work of the Civil Justice Council is desirable but not essential.

A unique opportunity to help shape the future of the civil justice system and contribute to the work of the Civil Justice Council, a key advisory body to the government and judiciary. This role offers the scope to demonstrate and develop broad policy making skills in an area of significant impact; civil justice affects the lives of all, and its continued reform and improvement is integral to our society. You will facilitate, encourage, and lead thinking by supporting the delivery of a wide range of projects and research.

The Civil Justice Council is a statutory advisory body, chaired by the Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice. The Council considers how to make the Civil Justice system more accessible, fair, and efficient. To fulfil its statutory functions, the Council operates primarily by establishing Working Groups to look at a particular issue, or part of the civil justice system. These Working Groups undertake consultations and research to make informed authoritative recommendations, usually in the form of a report, for others to take forward.

The successful applicant will join the team at an exciting time for the Council. With our annual strategy cycle beginning in February, and greater than ever scrutiny and support from Government and Parliament. Our work regularly informs developments in the justice system; some examples of our recent work include a groundbreaking report examining how the Civil Courts approach mental capacity, a report on litigation funding that precipitated significant legislative reversal, and an interim report on the use of AI in the preparation of court documents. For more details about the Council’s current work, please visit our website: https://www.judiciary.uk/related-offices-and-bodies/advisory-bodies/cjc/. Our work truly reflects the breadth of the civil jurisdiction.

You will occupy a critical position in helping the Council to operate. The Council has significant autonomy in fulfilling its role. You will need to make and maintain strong working relationships with members of the judiciary, officials, academics, lawyers, and other diverse stakeholders in the civil justice system, so that you can work with them to achieve the Council’s objectives. It is integral to the role that you are able to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,014, Ministry of Justice contributes £11,592 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 employer contribution of 28.97%
• 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

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
• Telephone : 0345 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/14804?entityId=14804