24953 - Judicial Policy

£52,064 - £70,356
1
6 Months
London
Westminster
102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ
Grade 7, Grade 6
A
Permanent
Full Time
Policy

Overview

The Judicial Policy Team works with the Lord Chancellor, Ministers and senior officials in overseeing their ongoing relationship with the judiciary.  The team leads on the development of policy on a range of issues which are of high importance to the judiciary.  This includes promoting understanding of the role of the judiciary both domestically and internationally, helping MoJ and wider government engage effectively with the judiciary and responsibility for the Lord Chancellor’s constitutional functions in relation to the judiciary. Within the overall work, the implications for the justice system of developments internationally, including our departure from the European Union requires appropriate engagement with the judiciary in ensuring that we have clarity in determining the impact of technical aspects of proposals on the administration of justice.

This is a fast moving, varied and interesting post in a sociable and motivated team. There will be frequent contact with Ministers who take a genuine interest in the work, senior officials, senior judiciary and other stakeholders. The post will provide good developmental opportunities, both in terms of the quality and breadth of the work and developing leadership and management skills.
Role description

The post-holder will lead on high profile work to ensure that the judiciary is appropriately engaged and that the Lord Chancellor’s statutory and constitutional functions are properly exercised.  The post holder will lead a team of four to:

-       work closely with colleagues in MoJ and across Whitehall to understand the international landscape, including EU exit, and how it impacts upon the judiciary. In particular this will include providing advice on emerging issues such as judicial appointments to international bodies and the rule of law internationally to Ministers;

-       work with Judicial Office and the judiciary to help build understanding of the impact of EU Exit on the legal framework and in particular the judiciary, and to make sure that consideration is given of the policy impacts/downstream impacts arising from Brexit in the context of judicial policy. This work includes ensuring that the implications on the normal administration of justice and how the judiciary and courts operate is appropriately and correctly considered.

-       Advise on the constitutional functions of the Lord Chancellor in relation to the judiciary

-       Lead on the development of discrete areas of policy relating to the judiciary and magistrates

-       Act as departmental sponsor for three bodies – Judicial Office, the Judicial Appointments Commission and the Judicial Appointments Complaints Ombudsman.

The successful candidate will need to have or be able to develop an understanding of the constitutional aspects of the LCs role.  It will be important to build strong and trusted relationships with the judicial and key stakeholders and other government Departments.  The role will include advising senior officials and Ministers. 

Duties are likely to include:

•Leading development and implementation of strategies on the implications of international developments, including EU Exit and judicial engagement;

•Providing high quality written and oral advice to Ministers and senior officials on a range of judicial policy issues, for example, in preparation for their meetings with the senior judiciary;

•Providing leadership across the judicial policy team, including management of a small team.

Skills and Capabilities

As the work is fast-paced and evolving you will be a confident self-starter that can constantly face new challenges to progress your work and with excellent communication and inter-personal skills to work with internal and external colleagues to develop solutions to problems. In addition you will have:

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills;
  • Excellent planning skills;
  • Sound judgment and the ability to provide well-articulated advice;
  • The ability to form and maintain productive relationships with stakeholders and colleagues;
  • The ability to assimilate quickly complex technical or legal information;
  • The ability to manage a varied workload, and to identify priorities proactively;
  • Good leadership and line management skills

Applications
This opportunity is open to substantive Band As, and staff at other grades on promotion.
If you would like to apply for the post, please provide examples of suitability against each of the competencies outlined below, on the application form provided.

Competencies Required:

Seeing the Big Picture

  • Identify implications of Departmental and political priorities and strategy on own area to ensure plans and activities reflect this;
  • Adopt a Government-wide perspective to ensure alignment of activity and policy;
  • Bring together views and perspectives of stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding activity and policy.

Making Effective Decisions

  • Analyse and evaluate pros and cons and identify risks in order to make decisions that take account of wider context, including diversity and sustainability;
  • Identify the main issues in complex problems, clarify understanding or stakeholder expectations, to seek the best option;
  • Push decision making to the right level within their team, not allow unnecessary bureaucracy and structure to suppress innovation and delivery.

Delivering at Pace

  • Clarify business priorities, roles and responsibilities and secure individual and team ownership.
  • Maintain effective performance in difficult and challenging circumstances, encouraging others to do the same.
  • Review, challenge and adjust performance levels to ensure quality outcomes are delivered on time, rewarding success.

Collaborating and Partnering

  • Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on objectives and shared interests.
  • Encourage contributions and involvement from a broad and diverse range of staff by being visible and accessible.
  • Seek constructive outcomes in discussions, challenge assumptions but remain willing to compromise when it is beneficial to progress.

   Leading and Communicating

  • Be visible to staff and stakeholders and regularly undertake activities to engage and build trust with people involved in area of work.
  • Confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels to generate commitment to goals.
  • Clarify strategies and plans, giving clear sense of direction and purpose for self and team.

Additional Information

Work location: The post will be based at 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ. The department operates a flexible working policy. Whilst this is a policy position based in MoJ HQ London, there are opportunities for flexible and remote working (when agreed in advance with your line manager).

Start date: To be agreed, in consultation with the existing business area.

Before submitting your application, please ensure that you have discussed this with your line manager. The post holder is expected to be able to take up post as soon as possible, by agreement with his/her current line management.

Selection Process: Suitability for the post will be determined by a paper sift followed by interview. Flexible working options will be considered. If there is a high volume of applicants, there will be an initial sift based on the ‘making effective decisions’ competency.

Interview dates to be confirmed

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as salary sacrifice arrangements for childcare vouchers, and voluntary benefits such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

To Be Confirmed

25/03/2019, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference - 24953.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Candidate Information

You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process 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

In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:


  • An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
  • A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.

During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.



if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace
Collaborating and Partnering
Leading and Communicating

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.