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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £42,914 - £46,182, London salary range is £49,325 - £53,081. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Internal
Location
Darlington, London
Region
London, North East
Closing Date
20-Jul-2026
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
SEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
19559

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Proud to serve. Proud to keep justice going.

Our Senior Legal Officers play a critical role in helping deliver justice. If you’re intent on serving the public by delivering excellent service, and are enthusiastic about working with the judiciary, then this role gives you the opportunity to play a pivotal role within HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

About us

Part of HMCTS, the Tribunals Directorate is responsible for the effective administration of Tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved Tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. We work with an independent judiciary across a wide range of jurisdictions to provide a fair, efficient and effective justice system.

Information Session

We will be holding a Microsoft Teams Webinar on Friday 10th July at 11am

This drop-in session is an opportunity for candidates to discuss the role in more detail.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: SLO recruitment campaign - information session

Meeting ID: 327 293 823 389 950

Passcode: 5we36QL7

Your role

Working within the legal operations framework in the Tribunals jurisdiction, the Senior Tribunal Caseworker/Legal Officer will support the effective administration of Tribunal business.

The post holder will do this by managing a team consisting of a minimum of 9 Tribunal Caseworker/Legal Officer staff. Team leadership and management duties and responsibilities are likely to take up a significant proportion of the post holder’s time. Alongside this, the post holder will also be expected to undertake complex casework and assessment activity, in order to determine how best to advance caseloads and remove any barriers to effective and timely case progression.

This Senior Legal Officer role will be based in the Special Educational Needs Tribunal (SEND) either in Darlington or the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ).

We would like to highlight that this is an office-based position, and the successful candidate will be expected to attend the office in person at either:

Darlington Magistrates Court, DL1 1RU or the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, WC2A 2LL

DBS Enhanced vetting is required to work in SEND. In addition, if your base location is the RCJ you will also require Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) vetting.

About you

Are you able to reflect on an issue and take an informed and impartial approach to your work, making evidence-based decisions? If you do, this varied and challenging role is for you.

A confident communicator and decision maker, you will use your skills and abilities to effectively work and engage with all court users. You’ll understand the importance of impartial decision making, and the need to understand a wide range of information at pace. You’ll have the ability to communicate with multiple levels of stakeholders internal and external to the Tribunal, with varying communication methods and the ability to adapt your communication to your audience. 

For a full job description, please read supporting document included below before applying.

Experience

A Senior Tribunal Caseworker/Legal Officer will be expected to have knowledge, skills and experience and provide evidence at both the sift and interview stages which include:

  • Detailed knowledge of the legal and administrative functions of the Tribunal
  • Detailed knowledge of tribunal procedure
  • Competent use of IT and legal resource material
  • Presentation skills
  • A law degree or equivalent experience is desirable
  • Experience leading a team is desirable
  • Experience working as a Legal Officer/Tribunal Caseworker is desirable

A law degree or equivalent technical experience is desirable.

The equivalent technical experience has been defined as:

“The demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision”

Further details

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

These operational roles are customer facing, requiring successful applicants to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public. Non-contractual hybrid working may be available, but we cannot facilitate requests for a particular work from home/working in the office schedule.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. HMCTS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs and are agreed prior to appointment. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Occasional travel to other courts

For this post, occasional travel to other sites may be required

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale.  This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). 

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

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.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours 

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits 

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension 

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training 

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks 

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & 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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 19559

HMPPS:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 19559

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Leadership, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Leadership
Seeing the Big Picture
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Interview dates expected mid August - dates to be confirmed
Behaviours
Leadership
Seeing the Big Picture
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.
Technical
Legal scenario will be given at interview as part of the assessment A law degree or equivalent technical experience is desirable.

The equivalent technical experience has been defined as: “The demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision”
Level of security checks required
DBS Enhanced

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.