About the job

Job summary

The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is a team within the Civil Service of around 50 lawyers and 10 support staff. Our job title is “counsel” but the job is open to barristers, solicitors and legal executives. Our main role is to draft Government Bills for introduction into Parliament and Government amendments to Bills as they go through Parliament on their way to becoming Acts.

Parliament can legislate about anything, so our work covers a wide variety of subjects and we do not specialise in any particular area of law. The Bills we draft can be hugely politically significant and topical, but may also be niche, specialised or technical. Our Office drafted the Bills that became Acts creating the NHS, nationalising and then privatising public utilities, delivering devolution, implementing Brexit and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences. In the past 12 months alone we’ve produced bills on subjects ranging from energy and online safety, through procurement, data protection, financial services and public order, to shark fins and mobile homes.

Because we may need to deal with legislation affecting any aspect of modern life, we recognise the importance of being a diverse organisation composed of excellent lawyers from a wide range of backgrounds.

We are committed to producing clear and effective legislation to the highest possible standards in the public interest. We lead the legislative drafting profession within Government and work to promote high standards of drafting and awareness of the principles underpinning good law. In addition to drafting Bills we advise the Government on Parliamentary procedure and liaise with Parliamentary authorities on behalf of the Government, we draft or review some subordinate legislation, where our expertise is called for, and we advise the Government on legal, Parliamentary and constitutional questions falling within our expertise.

Job description

Assistant Parliamentary Counsel (APCs) assist in all aspects of the Office’s work with a view to being able to take the lead on a Bill once they are promoted to the grade of Deputy Director (see the attached candidate information pack for further information).

APCs are supervised in their work, with the level of supervision reducing as they grow in expertise and experience, but will be responsible for drafting legislation from the beginning of their time in the Office. Although one drafter generally takes the lead on each Bill, and the First Parliamentary Counsel (the head of the Office) and team leaders oversee the work, the Office is a collaborative and nonhierarchical environment in which all contributions are welcome. APCs, working alongside a more experienced drafter, may be drafting deeply complex or controversial provisions from their very first day.

The main tasks of an APC are:
• To assist in drafting Bills which are effective, clearly written and well-structured (by both drafting and reviewing the work of other drafters);
• To work with officials across Government to ensure that the process of Bill preparation, publication and Parliamentary handling is handled
effectively and efficiently;
• To provide advice to Government departments on parliamentary procedure;
• To review, draft and advise on some subordinate legislation;
• To contribute to the training and development of other drafters, departmental lawyers, policy advisers and members of Bill teams (who coordinate work on a Bill);
• To contribute actively to the wider objectives of the Office (providing a high-quality drafting service, leading the legislative drafting profession within government, and promoting good law).

Find out more:

If, ahead of applying, you would like to find out more about what it is like working for the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, come to our online ‘Meet the Parliamentary Counsel’ panel event, which will be held on Wednesday 6th December at 6pm. You can register your interest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXK39I70J12NKQGzWjn0-rTJkyxjyVXmg9sJNupcnWPPqNyw/viewform

Because our selection process is competency-based, and some potential applicants may be unfamiliar with the assessment process, we are offering workshops to discuss how a range of experience might be used to demonstrate fit with the selection criteria in the application. Potential applicants will be able to attend on a first-come, first-served basis.

We are particularly keen to offer this support to individuals who are from backgrounds that are under-represented in the Office at the moment, such as disabled candidates, or black, Asian or other minority ethnic candidates, but it is open to anyone who feels that they may benefit from it.

None of the members of the Office attending the workshops will be members of the selection panel or able to discuss the workshops with the panel.

The workshops will be held in the weeks beginning 4th and 11th December. The precise dates of the workshops will be confirmed based on levels of interest, but on the dates they run, they will run from 6-7pm. If you would like to attend, please register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3Pu_Ke0_LIsV0D_X84hCd92ntnocCokZEUQkQ0mwOitOnbA/viewform

More information about the Office can also be found on our website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-parliamentary-counsel.

Person specification

It is important that, through your CV and supporting statement that you provide evidence of the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post. 

Essential Criteria

We are looking for lawyers who are motivated to produce legislation of the highest quality and who have the following skills and attributes:

• Excellent powers of analysis and reliable judgement in applying that analysis;
• Ability to express complex ideas clearly, coherently and accurately;
• Ability to master new information at speed, work under pressure and deliver at pace;
• Ability to problem solve and come up with creative solutions;
• Ability to work collaboratively;
• Good self-awareness and a commitment to learning and developing as a professional.

The skills and personal qualities we are looking for can be demonstrated through a wide range of legal and other experience.

We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and particularly welcome applications from people who are disabled or who are black, Asian or from minority ethnic groups, as they are currently under-represented in the Office. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £71,300, Cabinet Office contributes £19,251 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application by no later than 23:55pm, Sunday 7th January 2024. The online application will require you to:
1. Confirm you meet the minimum qualification criteria as to academic and professional qualifications, and nationality and specify how you meet this (max 500 words).
2. Set out a brief (max 500 words) overview of your career to date, setting out each employer, the dates of employment and a description of your role.
3. Briefly describe (max 250 words) your motivation for applying to join the Office.
4. Explain how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your ability to meet the
selection criteria (max 1000 words). You should give concise concrete examples of things you have done which show how you meet the person specification.

Please note, any words over the limits above will not be considered or scored.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with us via: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Shortlist

• Your application will be acknowledged when it is received.
• A panel will assess all the applications to select those demonstrating the best fit with the selection criteria.
• Because no prior experience of the role is necessary, the panel will be looking less at the nature of your specific experience and more at how your experience demonstrates a fit with the selection criteria, and the competencies needed for a career in the Office. There is no single type of experience that prepares candidates for the Office and all experience may be useful, but your application must show how it is relevant.
• In addition, the way in which you describe your experience is important, as the Office needs members who are able to communicate effectively in writing. This does not require you to write your application in any particular way - but it should be well structured, clear and concise.
• The timeline below indicates the date by which the decision as to which candidates are invited to interview is expected to be made, and all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible after that. Please note that we are unable to provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted.

Assessment

• If you are shortlisted, you will have the opportunity to speak to one or two members of the Office about the work that we do. This is not part of the selection process and the members of the Office will not discuss the conversation with the selection panel.
• Those being interviewed will be asked to undertake a written exercise on the day of the interview. The results will be discussed at the interview. Further details on the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates.
• If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies in the Office could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without the need for a new competition. 

Offer

• Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments in order to support disabled job applicants and ensure that you are not disadvantaged in the recruitment and assessment process. If you feel that you may need a reasonable adjustment to be made, or you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk in the first instance. 

Indicative Timeline

The anticipated timetable is as follows: 

Advert closing date: 23:55pm, Sunday 7th January 2024.

Shortlist: W/C 8th January to W/C 29th January 2024.

Interviews: From W/C 5th of February 2024.

Further Information:

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Please note that this role requires Security Clearance (SC) clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

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 security 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.