Legal Officer (Ref: 19571)

Job summary

Please refer to the Job Description

Job description

Proud to serve. Proud to keep justice going.

Our Legal Officers play a critical role in helping deliver justice. If you’re intent on serving the public by delivering excellent service, and are enthusiastic about working with the judiciary, then this role gives you the opportunity to play a pivotal role within HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

About us

Part of HMCTS, the Tribunals Directorate is responsible for the effective administration of Tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved Tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. We work with an independent judiciary across a wide range of jurisdictions to provide a fair, efficient and effective justice system.

Information Session

We will be holding a Microsoft Teams Webinar on Wednesday 8th July at 11am

This drop-in session is an opportunity for candidates to discuss the role in more detail.

If you wish to attend please send your email address to richard.metcalf@justice.gov.uk by no later than 4pm on Monday 6th July 2026 so a Teams link can be provided.

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing more about this exciting opportunity.

Your role

Working within a Regional Hearing Centre (RHC), you will support the effective administration of Tribunals business on a national scale by undertaking a range of complex case work and assessment activity in order to determine how best to advance caseloads and remove any barriers to effective and timely case progression.

Working independently with the support of a wider team, you will make informed decisions on how best to process appeals allowing all better access to justice. Under the supervision of a Senior Legal Officer and leadership judiciary, the Legal Officer will make case management decisions as part of their delegated judicial powers. A Legal Officer will liaise with key stakeholders and HMCTS colleagues to ensure the effective administration of justice.

These Legal Officer roles will be based in the Employment Tribunal

We would like to highlight that these are office-based positions, and the successful candidates will be expected to attend the office in person.

About you

Are you able to reflect on an issue and take an informed and impartial approach to your work, making evidence-based decisions? If you do, this varied and challenging role is for you.

A confident communicator and decision maker, you will use your skills and abilities to effectively work and engage with all court users. You’ll understand the importance of impartial decision making, and the need to understand a wide range of information at pace. You’ll have the ability to communicate with multiple levels of stakeholders internal and external to the Tribunal, with varying communication methods and the ability to adapt your communication to your audience.

For a full job description, please read supporting document and candidate pack included below before applying.

Experience

A law degree or equivalent technical experience is desirable.

The equivalent technical experience has been defined as:

“The demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision”

Technical – Locational Preference - this will not be assessed

There are 16 roles available. Please list your location preferences in ranked order (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th). If you are only interested in one role or location, please state a single preference. Only select locations you are genuinely prepared to travel to and work from daily. While you may choose your preferences, if you are offered a role in any of your stated locations (for example, your 2nd or 3rd choice), you will not be able to decline it and remain on the merit list for a higher preference. Appointments will be made in merit list order for each role, based on the preferences you have selected.

Locations

6 roles in Watford: Employment Tribunals, Radius House, 51 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1HP

2 roles at London East Employment Tribunals, 2nd Floor, Import Building, 2 Clove Crescent, London, E14 2BE

4 roles at London Central Employment Tribunals, London Tribunal Centre, 7 Newgate St, London EC1A 7AZ

4 roles at London South Employment Tribunals Montague Court,101 London Road, Croydon, CR0 2RF

Travel to other centres within London, including Watford may be required on occasions dependent upon business needs.

Base Location and Reserve list information

It is important to note that whilst you may select up tofour preferences, you should only indicate locations where you are prepared to travel to and work from every day. If you are offered a role in one of your stated location preferences (for example, your 2nd; 3rd or 4th choice), you will not be able to decline this and remain on the merit list for a higher preference. Or if you are offered a role in any one of your stated preferences and decline it, you will be removed from the reserve list for all your preferences.

We will be allocating roles and base locations using your selected preference location/s. We will appoint in merit list order for each location outlined in the vacancy.

After appointments have been made using this locational appointment process, any remaining candidates who met the benchmark for the role will be placed on a reserve list, based on your selected preferences. This will be for a period of 12 months in the event of a similar opportunity arising in one of these locations.

Introductory Training

All successful candidates will be expected to attend a 2-day introductory training course at a date and time to be advised.

Interview Schedule Notice

Interviews are scheduled to take place in August 2026. Please note that rescheduling will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, and any rearrangements must still occur within the interview period.

Further Information

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

These operational roles are customer facing, requiring successful applicants to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public. Non-contractual hybrid working may be available, but we cannot facilitate requests for a particular work from home/working in the office schedule.

Working Pattern

The roles are offered on a full-time basis. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week Monday to Friday. However, requests for part-time/reduced hours working will be considered at the point of provisional offer, subject to meeting business requirements within the relevant business area in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Skilled Worker Visa

From 22 July 2025, the Government increased the salary threshold and skills level for Skilled Worker visas. This role does not meet the eligibility criteria for sponsorship in accordance with the current immigration rules if you looking to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa for the first time.

The Department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously since before 22 July 2025. If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your vetting checks and eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place.

If you are applying for this role and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship (or the transitional provisions), you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.

Technical Skills

Technical 1
Locational Preference - this will not be assessed.

Technical 2

Legal scenario will be given at interview as part of the assessment A law degree or equivalent technical experience is desirable.

The equivalent technical experience has been defined as: “The demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision”

Person specification

Please refer to the Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Please refer to the Technical Skills section in the Job Description
• Please refer to the Technical Skills section in the Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,014, HM Courts and Tribunals Service 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 (opens in a new window).

• 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 Technical skills.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.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/19571?entityId=19571