Registrar/ Lawyer, Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) (Ref: 91447)
HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 4th November 2024
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Type of role
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
Job description
His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service
Royal Courts of Justice Group, Legal Operations
Job Title: Registrar, Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber)
Pay Span or equivalent: Grade 7 £58,847 - £66,670
Contract type: Permanent
Number of hours per week: 37
Number of vacancies: 1
Reserve List: Yes
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 lawyers, known as 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 seven Registrars who support the work of UTAAC in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, six 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 Registrars 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.
Recruitment Process
You will be assessed against the Civil Service Success Profiles framework.
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.
You will be required to provide evidence of the following behaviours:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a quality service
- Communicating and Influencing
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.
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.
Candidates invited to Interview:
Please note that interviews will be carried out in person in London.
Candidates invited to interview will be required to undertake a situational legal skills judgement test. The following legal professional skills will be assessed:
- Produces sound analysis using secure legal research
- Maintains relevant and up to date legal knowledge and skills
- Has reliable legal judgement and understands legal risk
The interview will assess both 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 late November 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.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Eligibility
Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.
Person specification
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Situational questions at interview to test legal professional skills
- Situational questions at interview to test legal professional skills
- Situational questions at interview to test legal professional skills
Benefits
- Access to learning and development
- A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
- A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- Annual Leave
- Public Holidays
- Season Ticket Advance
For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances 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
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
- Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
- Telephone : 0845 241 5359
Recruitment team
- Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
Further information
