Join to apply for the Specialist Prosecutor role at Crown Prosecution Service
4 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants
Join to apply for the Specialist Prosecutor role at Crown Prosecution Service
Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.
Contents
Location
Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
About The Job
Job summary
The Serious Economic, Organised Crime International Directorate (SEOCID) prosecutes serious economic, organised crime and organised child sexual abuse, including where there is an international element to the case. Our specialist legal skills enable us to work in partnership with investigators to combat ever-evolving crime types. We achieve this by ensuring we make high-quality legal decisions, work proactively with stakeholders and operate as a strong internal team that supports each other’s success. Our Directorate protects the public through the prosecution of serious economic, organised crime and organised child sexual abuse, through international engagement and using legal assistance, extradition and asset recovery tools. It represents a new approach to tackling the large scale, sophisticated criminal offending that threatens domestic and international security. We are a centre of excellence in the CPS and have a team of specialist prosecutors – responsible for the legal decision making and case progression, they handle the most serious and complex cases.
We have 3 posts available within the following locations:
Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle.
Please note, London is reserve list only.
We will ask you to confirm your preferred location. Offers are made in merit order in line with your location preference order. It’s not guaranteed that we will be able to accommodate your location preference.
The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There’s no guarantee that we will grant this approval.
You must be aged 18 before starting in this role. The start date is expected to be 8-12 weeks after the application deadline.
As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.
Job Description
Your roles and responsibilities:
* Analyse evidence and review files engaging with the Police, HMRC, NCA, NHS, PIPCU, DWP, Immigration Enforcement and other agencies, including investigators and prosecutors from foreign jurisdictions to determine who to charge, the appropriate charges and number of trials needed.
* You use their well-developed knowledge of criminal law, procedure and evidence, demonstrating excellence in legal analysis, advocacy and drafting skills.
* You provide advice to police and other investigatory bodies, as well as to CPS Areas and Divisions, at the commencement of operations, pre-charge and post arrest, often involving large quantities of material, taking on board issues regarding evidential requirements, admissibility of evidence, disclosure, unused material, custody time limits, etc.
* You deal effectively and persuasively with a wide range of people, both internally and externally, as part of a multi-skilled team or individually in order to ensure the effective and successful prosecution of cases. Engage with all relevant agencies for debriefings following each case in order to learn lessons, improve practice and share findings from debriefings with colleagues to improve the quality of the Unit’s casework and overall performance.
* You represent the CPS, both internally and externally. To be able to deal and communicate effectively with victims and/or witnesses; keeping them informed about the progress of the case and any decisions to stop the case or substantially alter the charge and seeking appropriate support to help them to give their best evidence in court. You confidently and competently draft and present arguments, draft orders, letters of request, disclosure agreements, briefings and AG’s consent applications.
* You adapt quickly to the demands of the case, working without supervision and under pressure. You are flexible in working hours, be able to build and manage prosecution case teams, ensuring that momentum in case preparation is maintained and demonstrate consistency of decision making, integrity and discretion
A copy of the full job description is available if requested from Ben.Savage@cps.gov.uk
Person specification
To eligible to apply you need:
* Post Qualification experience
* Litigation in Serious and Complex Crime
* Experience of drafting high quality written analysis of complex legal or evidential issues
* To be a qualified practising solicitor or barrister holding a valid Practising Certificate for England and Wales
It is desirable that you have the below experience but this is not required to apply:
* Dealing complex disclosure issues and international enquiries.
* Extensive experience in criminal practice
Qualifications
Legally Qualified: The post holder must be a qualified practising solicitor or barrister and must hold a valid Practising Certificate for England and Wales.
Academic: Law degree, Common Professional Examination, Graduate Diploma in Law.
Professional: Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course and have completed the relevant pupillage and training contract (or have received full exemption from the relevant professional regulatory body, either the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board).
Memberships
The successful applicant must have a valid practising certificate for England and Wales or be eligible to obtain a valid practising certificate issued from either the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board.
If CILEx qualified, must hold a ‘general qualification’ within the meaning of s.71 (3) (c) Courts and Legal Services Act 1990.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Working Together
* Making Effective Decisions
* Leadership
* Managing a Quality Service
* Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Working Together
* Making Effective Decisions
* Leadership
* Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £63,340, Crown Prosecution Service contributes £18,349 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Join the Crown Prosecution Service and find your purpose.
The Crown Prosecution Service is passionate about ensuring that we're a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We're a committed equal opportunities employer, creating a culture where you can bring your whole self to work, and individuality is truly appreciated.
This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering disability, faith and belief, LGBTQI+, race, social mobility alongside our mental health first aiders programme and wellbeing sessions.
The Crown Prosecution Service commits to offer its employees the following experience.
* You can do impactful, purposeful work that’s making a difference to your local communities.
* You are able to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources.
* We care about your wellbeing.
* We want you to feel valued, trusted and included.
We also offer the following range of benefits:
* Civil Service contributory pension of up to 28.9%
* 25 days’ leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years
* £350 each year to spend on personal development
* lawyer training programme for all new prosecutors
* an extra privilege day to mark the King's birthday
* competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
* flexible working including flexitime, and a family friendly approach to work
* Cycle2Work scheme, employee savings.
Diversity at the Crown Prosecution Service is about inclusion, embracing differences and ensuring our workforce truly reflects the communities we serve. We want you to feel that you belong and can thrive, whatever your background, identity or culture. As a Disability Confident employer, we're happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments and improve your recruitment experience. If you'd like any reasonable adjustments made to our recruitment process, let us know within your application or contact Ben.Savage@cps.gov.uk
We want to ensure our employees can thrive at work and home and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment. We offer a hybrid working policy. There is an expectation that you spend at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period at court, in an office or another official workplace depending on business need and the kind of work you're doing. For this role, however, it’s likely that you will spend closer to 100% of your time in court. You must consider if the commute from your home to court is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. If you’re successful, we will discuss this before you take up the post.
The Crown Prosecution Service also has a range of development programmes to support all aspiring, new and experienced managers with developing the skills, behaviours and knowledge to build their confidence and capability. Our Manager Induction Programme is mandatory for all newly appointed managers. This is a fantastic opportunity to support all our new Crown Prosecution Service managers with the tools required to perform effectively in their roles.
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 and Experience.
Recruitment process
The recruitment process consists of an online application, interview and assessment. These are expected to take place on 17th, 18th and 21st of July.
Your interview takes place online through Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with guidance. If you have any queries about this, contact Ben.Savage@cps.gov.uk
You should keep these dates free or notify us if you're not available. We'll make every effort to accommodate your date preferences but we can't guarantee it.
Assessment
We ask you to complete an assessment as part of the recruitment process for this role. We will provide details immediately before your interview.
Behaviours
You are also asked to complete a statement of no more than 250 words for each behaviour setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match the specified behaviours and requirements. In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.
* Making Effective Decisions
* Working Together
* Leadership
* Managing a Quality Service
In addition, you need to demonstrate the following experience/technical skills required for this role, which are:
* Litigation in Serious and Complex
* Post Qualification experience
* Drafting high quality written analysis of complex legal or evidential issues
You also need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.
The panel has the right to assess the lead behaviour ‘Making Effective Decisions’ first. If the standard on this behaviour isn’t met, the other behaviours won’t be considered and your application won’t progress. The panel also has the right to raise the minimum standard pass mark. The panel may also refer to the lead behaviour at the interview stage to determine merit order.
Interview/Assessment
We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to see if you're a good fit for the role. You are assessed against SP in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. We are assessing 4 behaviours at interview / assessment stage
* Making Effective Decisions– interview and assessment
* Leadership – interview
* Managing a Quality service – interview
* Delivering at Pace –interview
CV You’re not required to upload your CV. However, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section’. You are required to provide information about your employment, academic history and skills and qualifications details for the past three years. The CV section will be used as supporting evidence, it won’t be assessed.
It’s your responsibility to provide the specified information in the requested format to ensure that you're considered for the post.
If you're unable to cover three years through employment or academic history, you must provide a character reference for clearance purposes.
Strengths
Strengths are tested at interview stage - the strengths tested are not shared before the interview.
Accuracy
You must ensure that your application, including your personal statement and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Other
This is a full-time post. We do consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department.
Clearance
If successful, you are required to secure a Security Clearance, for which you must have a current valid UK address. Developed Vetting clearance is optional once in post.
If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form, nationality and immigration questionnaire and national security vetting form.
If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won’t need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance.
The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply. You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.
To be cleared to Security Clearance/Developed Vetting clearance level, you have to be able to meet the residency requirement in the Cabinet Office guidance. For the Crown Prosecution Service they are:
* Security Clearance – three years within the last five years
* Developed Vetting – six years within the last ten years.
Civil Service Commission
If you’re dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.
If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/
Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/
Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
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.
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.
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 the Civil 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 : Ben Savage
* Email : Ben.Savage@cps.gov.uk
Recruitment team
* Email : strategic.resourcing@cps.gov.uk
Seniority level
* Seniority level
Entry level
Employment type
* Employment type
Part-time
Job function
* Job function
Legal
* Industries
Law Practice
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Crown Prosecution Service by 2x
Sign in to set job alerts for “Prosecutor” roles.
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago
Legal Counsel, Central Europe - Western Region
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago
Washington, England, United Kingdom 1 month ago
Washington, England, United Kingdom 2 days ago
We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
#J-18808-Ljbffr