Lawyer - Criminal

Criminal Cases Review Commission

United Kingdom

Remote

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Legal

Flexible

£49,870 - £57,338 per year

Job summary

From time to time, a criminal case ends with a wrongful conviction or sentence. There may 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.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has a unique statutory role - reviewing such cases independently and deciding whether there is a real possibility that a conviction or sentence would not be upheld by the appeal courts.

Can you research and advise on complex issues of criminal law and evidence?
Can you design and deliver training to keep colleagues updated on developments in the criminal justice system?
Can you manage a team of interns, and support their professional development?

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.

Following the recent HMCPSI inspection of the CCRC’s casework, the legal team plays an important role in quality assurance by providing advice and constructive challenge to ensure the legal accuracy of CCRC casework and decisions

We’re looking for a lawyer to join us on a permanent basis (although we can also consider secondments and loans). 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.

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.

Job description

Under the supervision of the In-House Counsel, you will be responsible for:

Legal Advice

Undertake legal research and provide oral and written advice on legal matters within CCRC casework.
Provide oral and written advice on the CCRC’s statutory powers.
Provide advice and guidance to support the drafting of high-quality Statements of Reasons.
Source & instruct external legal advice where necessary.

Quality Assurance

Provide advice and constructive challenge to ensure the legal accuracy of CCRC casework and decisions
Peer-review the work of colleagues in the legal team
Quality assure and peer review legal elements of CCRC casework

Training and Development

Develop, source and deliver internal training on legal matters relating to CCRC casework
Maintain and update internal legal guidance for the casework team, to ensure that material remains relevant, accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive
Maintain the CCRC’s legal resources (including access to relevant electronic databases)
Keep up to date with developing law, practice, and policy and maintain own CPD through internal and external events

Leadership and Management

Line-manage legal interns, including setting objectives, supporting professional development, and addressing performance or quality concerns.
Meet regularly with legal interns to review progress and wellbeing, and provide advice, guidance, support, and direction
Provide first line assurance of interns’ work by reviewing progress, quality and timeliness, and including formal scrutiny and dip sampling
Lead on the recruitment and induction of legal interns

Policy and Corporate Support

Assist in developing, reviewing and updating policy
Assist in drafting submissions and responses to national consultations
Ensure compliance with the CCRC’s obligations on disclosure, security and confidentiality of information.
Ensure compliance with data protection and human rights legislation.
Ensure compliance with the CCRC’s obligations under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime

Litigation (Judicial Review)

When necessary, support the work of the Lawyer (Civil) by assessing legal challenges to the CCRC’s decisions, making recommendations as to the appropriate course of action, and drafting effective responses to pre-action correspondence and claims.
Work with colleagues in the legal team and wider casework to develop strategies to reduce instances of judicial review and identify any learning points

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 in criminal law in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Authorised to conduct litigation
Lead: Recent experience of providing legal advice on complex, novel and technical areas of criminal law in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Experience of managing, motivating and constructively challenging individuals to deliver results and improve quality and performance, demonstrating commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and accurately, both orally and in writing. Ability to draft to a high standard.
Strong analytical skills and experience of researching and analysing complex legal and evidential issues, quickly identifying the critical issues and identifying where there is insufficient information and taking appropriate action

Desirable:

Higher rights of audience.
Experience of judicial review
Experience of training, coaching and mentoring.

Qualifications

Solicitor or Barrister, with a minimum of three years’ post-qualification experience in criminal law in England, Wales or
Northern Ireland. Authorised to conduct litigation

Behaviours

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

Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Developing Self and Others

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 (opens in a new window).

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 bank holidays and special leave allowance for your birthday
Generous paid maternity, paternity and shared parental leave (SPL) which is in excess of the statutory minimum
We have flexible working patterns, including access to a flexible working scheme;
We also operate a flexi time system which means you can build up to two additional days off per month
Remote working (anywhere in the UK) - we will supply a chair, monitor and all the kit you need to work from home comfortably and safely
Reimbursement for any travel, subsistence, and expenses
3 paid volunteering days per year
Access to retail discounts and a cashback site
Occupational Health Services and an Employee Assistance Programme
Free eye tests and a contribution towards lenses or spectacles for VDU users

To find out more and apply, please visit our website.

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.

Selection process timeline:

Application:

Applications must be submitted via our careers site by 23:55 on 23rd September 2026.
Our recruitment is anonymous, so instead of CV’s, candidates will need to submit an online application form.

When you apply, you will be asked a few screening questions. If you pass the screening questions, you will receive an email inviting you to respond to the Criteria questions, which are based on the Person Specification. Your responses to the criteria questions must be submitted before the vacancy closing date.

When answering the criteria questions, you may find one of the models on page 7 helpful for presenting your evidence clearly and concisely.

Assessment:

Once the advert has closed, candidates may be invited to complete two online timed ability assessments (Verbal Reasoning and Logical Reasoning).

Shortlisting:

Those who score highest in the assessments will then be shortlisted against evidence of meeting the essential criteria as set out in the Person Specification.

Written Exercise & Interview:
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to undertake a written exercise prior to attending a final interview focused on Civil Service Success Profiles Behaviours and Strengths. Please note, feedback is only provided to candidates who attend a panel interview.

Any offers will be subject to successful completion of pre-employment checks including security clearance to CTC (Counter Terrorist Check) level.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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 : Please contact the HR Team
Email : HR@ccrc.gov.uk

Salary range

£49,870 - £57,338 per year