Employer Info

Government Legal Department
United Kingdom
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Web Site:

3 x G7 Lawyer – Post Office Mini Team

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Job ID:

34443

Practice Area(s):

Litigation

Role:

Qualified Lawyer

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Employment Type:

Permanent Full-Time

Posted:

14.02.2025

Employer type:

Central Government

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Job Description:

£59,200 per annum

External candidates at G7 should expect their salary upon appointment to be London £61,200 & National £59,200 per annum, Legal Officers should expect their salary to be £49,919 for London & National.

About the Government Legal Department

The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes:

Developing and drafting legislation
Providing legal advice on policies
Securing our economic and trade relationships
Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
Providing the Civil Service’s employment law advice

We are at the heart of delivering the Government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver.

GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery.

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential.

Job description

About the Post Office Mini Team – Department for Business and Trade Division

The Department for Business and Trade Legal Advisers division advises the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) across all of its policy and operational responsibilities, including international trade policy, agreements and disputes, consumer law, better regulation, employment law, assistance to industry and subsidy control. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade wholly owns Post Office Limited and DBT has overall responsibility for the company within Government.

The Division consists of fourteen legal teams, and a business management team.

The Post Office mini team is led by Eleri Wones and sits within the Industry, Investment and Subsidy Control Team, led by James Neilson and advises on all policy and financial aspects relating to the provision of compensation to those affected by the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, including the recent Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024 quashing the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters and their branch assistants.

The Role

We are looking for three experienced lawyers with at least 3 years’ PQE to work in conjunction with external legal advisers and case assessors on all aspects of the Government’s response to the Post Office Horizon scandal; primarily advising DBT on all aspects of the administration and implementation of the various compensation schemes available to postmasters and ex-postmasters. These are currently the Historical Shortfall Scheme, the Suspension Remuneration Review and the Overturned Convictions remediation process run by the Post Office and the GLO Compensation Scheme and the Historical Convictions Redress Scheme run by DBT.

This will include (but is not limited to) advising on: the application of the relevant principles set by the schemes for the assessment of compensation; the making of individual assessments of compensation by the Post Office and/or DBT; procedural and other issues arising in connection with the operation of the schemes; information law issues relating to the schemes; and wider policy and operational issues in respect of the schemes. The work also potentially includes advising on issues arising from the implementation of the acquittal legislation, and advising on general public law, information handling, devolution, commercial and other issues relating to the Horizon IT scandal.

This is an excellent opportunity for energetic and ambitious lawyers to further their experience and professional development in a range of areas, in a high-profile and fast-moving context and in a dynamic and supportive team environment.

Person specification

Technical Legal Professional Skills - Essential

Sound legal analysis and judgment, including knowledge and understanding of the relevant law (or the capacity to acquire it swiftly).
Confident understanding of the role of lawyers in the government context and ability to apply that in practical situations.
Ability to identify, analyse and present legal risks in an effective way to decision-makers, taking into account relevant policy, operational and political contexts.
Understanding of and ability to apply (or capacity quickly to acquire these) the legal principles governing the assessment and quantification of damages for injury and loss.

Behaviours - Essential

Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role. Demonstrating all the behaviours listed below is essential.

You will be expected to provide evidence to show how you meet the criteria at interview and/or selection stage.

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

Managing a Quality Service
Communicating & Influencing
Working Together

Experience

Essential

Excellent all-round legal advisory skills and experience of giving fast-paced, risk-based and solution-focussed advice on challenging matters.
Experience of working in a busy and diverse team and the ability to multitask and prioritise when faced with competing deadlines.

Desirable

Experience of advising on common law principles relating to the assessment of compensation for pecuniary and non-pecuniary losses including psychiatric injury and aggravated and exemplary damages.
Public law advisory experience
Litigation experience
Commercial experience
Criminal law experience

Qualifications

Qualifications - Minimum Eligibility Criteria

Academic and Professional
Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in their first degree (in any subject). Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree. GLD will consider applicants who do not have a 2.1 degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)).

Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales however, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx.
Please note that candidates cannot apply more than 3 months before their qualification date.

Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (i.e. Fellows): Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (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 following seven foundation subjects in law:
1. Contract Law
2. Criminal Law
3. Equity and Trusts Law
4. European Union Law
5. Land Law
6. Public Law
7. Law of Tort

*Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2.1 degree equivalence as set out below.

Chartered Legal Executives should note that GLD will be willing to accept an, overall, average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law (where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating 2.1 degree equivalence (where a 2.1 degree is not held).

Behaviours

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

Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

You should have a minimum 2.1 degree in any subject. If you do not hold a 2.1 degree, this department may consider your application where you can demonstrate equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement.
Lawyers qualified outside of England and Wales will be required to provide further information. Detailed guidance is given when completing the application.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,200, Government Legal Department contributes £17,150 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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.

The Recruitment Process

Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process. This should be completed no later than Friday 14th March 2025 at 12:00 noon and will involve completing the sections in the online application outlined below: To apply for this post, you will be required to complete:

An online CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities experience and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years, as part of the online application form. The CV will be scored and used to assess Experience as listed on page 7 of the vacancy notice.
A Personal statement of no more than 750 words, demonstrating how you meet the Essential Criteria for Technical Legal Professional Skills (Lead Criteria).
Please provide a statement of no more than 250 words for the following behaviour Managing a Quality Service.

Selection Process

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the behaviours and experience outlined in the person specification/Criteria. Please note, if a high number of applications are received, we will sift on the Personal statement Technical Legal Professional Skills (Lead Criteria) alone.

Security Clearance

To start this role, you must hold BPSS security clearance. Once in post you may be required to obtain CTC security clearance. More information about the vetting process and UK footprint can be found here.

Interview

Should you be successful in being invited to interview, you will be assessed on your performance in all essential criteria as listed in the Person Specification/Criteria on page 7 of the vacancy notice and below. Candidates invited to interview will be given further information.

Technical – Legal Professional Skills (Lead Criteria)
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating & Influencing
Working Together
Experience

On the day of the interview, you will be asked to give a 5-minute presentation on Legal scenario-based question and you may be asked follow up questions.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Interviews will take place remotely via video conference, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview. The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

Offer

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible after the final interview.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you may be placed on the reserve list for up to 12 months. We then may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

The Civil Service Code

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of you and other civil servants. These are based on the core values which are set out in legislation. As a civil servant, you are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values of:

‘integrity’ is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
‘honesty’ is being truthful and open
objectivity’ is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence
‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions

These core values support good government and ensures the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does.

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 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

Closing date: 14 March 2025 @ 12:00

For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.