About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Background:

His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of the criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland.  It provides a fair, efficient and effective justice system delivered by an independent judiciary.  HMCTS aims to ensure that all citizens receive timely access to justice according to their different needs, whether as victims or witnesses of crime, defendants accused of crime, consumers in debt, children at risk of harm, businesses involved in commercial disputes or as individuals asserting their employment rights or challenging the decisions of government bodies.

Consequently, there are high expectations of all staff regardless of the job they do, and high performance is expected from everybody. The organisation is continuously adopting new or better ways of working to ensure that it focuses on just that which is essential. HMCTS Senior Management Team expects all leaders to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to change through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

Introduction

The RCJ legal operations group includes all the lawyers working in the offices which support the Upper Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, High Court and Court of Appeal (criminal and civil divisions).

The Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) (“UTAAC”) exercises a largely error of law jurisdiction deciding appeals from a range of First-tier Tribunals.  The majority of UTAAC’s workload consists of appeals relating to social security benefits but it also considers appeals in other subject areas including child support, mental health, information rights, special educational needs, and transport licensing. UTAAC also exercises a judicial review jurisdiction.

A team of legally qualified Registrars work with the Judges and administrative staff to deal with this work. The key purpose of the role of the Registrar is to support the judges of UTAAC in the efficient, just and expeditious disposal of cases. There are eight Registrars who support the work of UTAAC in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, seven based in London (including the Senior Registrar) and one in Belfast.  The UTAAC Registrar team also provides support to the EAT Registrar and Upper Tribunal (Lands) Registrar as required.

Key responsibilities and duties:

Case management

Providing ongoing high-quality casework throughout case progression, including to:

• Promote and practise active case management, to ensure that cases are progressed consistently, efficiently and in accordance with the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008 or other relevant rules with a view to minimising delay and reducing outstanding caseload.
• Provide clear, prompt and accurate legal and procedural advice to judges giving weight to appropriate issues and key authorities.
• Manage interlocutory and case management issues for the effective conduct of a case, either at the request of judges or on their own initiative, including the exercise of delegated judicial functions.
• Provide appropriate advice on practice and procedure to the Chamber President, Upper Tribunal Judges and Tribunal users, including appellants and legal professionals.
• Dealing with procedural and other issues raised by administrative staff.
• Promote and practice proactive case management to ensure that cases are progressed consistently and efficiently in accordance with the overriding objective contained in the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008 or other relevant rules with a view to minimising delay and reducing outstanding cases.
• Maintain an accurate overview of all legal issues relevant to the work of the UTAAC, including identifying cases raising linked issues and test cases.

Legal Research

• Carrying out efficient and proportionate legal and other research using relevant and up to date resources and taking into account applicable aspects of constitutional, public and human rights law

Keep the Customer / Tribunal / other stakeholders informed

• Respond promptly to legal and procedural questions and queries from administrative staff, solicitors, counsel and litigants in person as appropriate.
• Respond promptly to queries from the judiciary.
• Maintain a dialogue and exchange of information with UTAAC Registrars, other stakeholders, other agencies and legal representatives.
• Attending internal meetings with the President and Judiciary when requested.

Develop and apply legal skills

• Use knowledge of the legal issues specific to the caseload to carry out effective case management.
• Maintain and develop specialist knowledge in relevant areas of law and public law generally, the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008, with a strong focus on continuous learning.
• Identify developing trends in the caseload area.
• Respond to consultations as to proposed procedural or legal changes affecting the work, where appropriate.
• Attend in-house and external training courses to complete relevant continuous professional development requirements.

People management / working as a team.

• Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with other lawyers and caseworkers.
• Work closely with the administrative staff to progress cases.
• Work collaboratively across the UTAAC to continually develop more efficient means of achieving the goals of the Office.
• Cover urgent work of other lawyers who are absent and, by agreement, additional work on a reciprocal basis.
• To identify training needs, design and deliver training sessions for administrative colleagues on specific topic areas.
• The UTAAC lawyers also assist the EAT Registrar and Registrar for the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) as required.

Other duties

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and to undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Accountability

The post holder will report to the Senior Registrar, Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber).

Location of Post

Located at the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber), 5th Floor, 7 Rolls Buildings, Fetter Lane, London, although regular and routine working from other locations may be expected.

Required Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• Solicitor or barrister qualified to practise in England and Wales (i.e. having completed training contract or pupillage), or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (eligible where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the GDL/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved) at CILEx Level 6*, in all of the seven foundation subjects in law). 
• Post qualification experience with good working knowledge of public law and procedure.
• You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.

Conditions of appointment

Prior to appointment candidates will be asked to provide an original copy of their legal qualification certificate.  We will ask you to bring this with you to interview.

Conditions of appointment

Prior to appointment, candidates will be asked to provide a copy of their legal qualification certificate.  You will be asked to bring this with you to interview.

Application Process

You will be assessed against the Civil Service Success Profiles framework.

Experience

You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.

Behaviours

During the application process you will be asked to provide evidence of the following behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a quality service
• Communicating and Influencing

Please also refer to the Civil Service Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on experience and on the lead behaviour of Making Effective Decisions. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, where they will be assessed against both behaviours and strengths.

Candidates invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out in person in London.

Candidates invited to interview may be required to do a written exercise to assess technical legal skills. 

The interview will assess experience, technical legal skills (situational legal skill questions) and Behaviours and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework.

You can refer to the Civil Service Strengths dictionary for more details:  Success Profiles - Civil Service Strengths Dictionary (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Interviews are expected to take place mid/late May 2024.

Salary, 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.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,847, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes £16,418 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience 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. 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.