Senior Crown Prosecutor

Job summary

This is a great opportunity to join the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division within Casework Directorate, CPS.

Senior Crown Prosecutors are highly trained lawyers with excellent people skills and a passion for delivering justice. This role is largely office-based.

You represent the Crown Prosecution Service on the frontline, collaborating closely with colleagues and other agencies, including the police, counsel and judiciary. You play a vital role in maintaining public confidence in our work.

You will work in partnership with investigators to build robust criminal or civil asset recovery cases – restraint, confiscation, enforcement of confiscation orders, civil recovery.

You will be making high-quality legal decisions, working proactively with stakeholders and operating as a strong centre of excellence in asset recovery.

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 16 or over at the point of starting in this role. The expected start date is approximately 8–12 weeks after the application closing date. You are expected to commence employment as soon as possible following the expiry of your notice period. Requests for significantly later start dates may not be accommodated.

Job description

Your roles and responsibilities

• You conduct discussions with law enforcement authorities (LEAs) on the evidential requirements for restraint, confiscation and enforcement applications. You review cases where applications will be made to the Magistrates, Crown and High courts, decide whether it is appropriate to make the application and to decide on the terms of the application and whether to apply for compensation or costs. CPS POCD makes applications that includes restraint, receivership, confiscation, reconsideration of confiscation orders or civil recovery orders.
• You will have an asset recovery caseload.
• You are responsible for your own caseload – advising police, financial investigators, reviewing case files, conducting proceedings and providing legal advice on cases to be presented in the Magistrates', Crown and High Courts.
• You analyse, review, prepare and present a wide range of asset recovery cases, and will be expected to have up-to-date knowledge of asset recovery law.
• You have a high volume of casework in respect of advice and review, which will include some of the more challenging, serious and sensitive cases.
• You undertake advocacy in relation to Magistrates Court and Crown Court applications when appropriate
• You explain our decisions clearly to stakeholders including magistrates, counsel, victims, witnesses and the police.
• You work effectively as part of a multiskilled team.

A copy of the full job description is attached.

Person specification

To be eligible to apply, you need to:

• be a qualified practising solicitor or barrister holding a valid Practising Certificate for England and Wales
• have experience of drafting legal documents
• have experience of conducting legal and factual research and analysis
• have experience of dealing with incomplete and conflicting evidence
• have experience of managing contested casework/litigation with multiple parties
• have confidence in dealing with numerical data
• have in depth knowledge and understanding of the principles of criminal law

It is desirable that you have the below experience too, but this is not required to apply:

• Legal experience in all aspects of proceeds of crime work
• Experience of serious criminal casework.
• Experience of drafting briefings, delivering presentations and training
• Proceeds of Crime Act knowledge

Qualifications

Legally qualified: You must be a qualified solicitor or barrister able to obtain a valid Practising Certificate for England and Wales

If you’re a CILEx lawyer, you must be a Fellow of CILEx and a CILEx Advocate/Litigator holding all three advocacy certificates providing you with a ‘general qualification’ within the meaning of s71(3)(c) Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. You must have a right of audience in relation to any class of proceedings in any part of the Senior Courts, or all proceedings in County Court or magistrates' courts, to meet the requirements for a Crown Prosecutor as specified by section 1 Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. If you don’t meet this definition, you’re not eligible to apply for this vacancy. If you’re unsure whether you have qualified through CILEx, contact us to establish your eligibility for this role.

Solicitors - You must hold a qualifying law degree or equivalent, have passed the Common Professional Examination or Graduate Diploma in Law and/or the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), have completed two years of qualifying work experience and be admitted to the roll of solicitors by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or have full exemption from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Barristers - You must hold a qualifying law degree (or Common Professional Examination or Graduate Diploma in Law), have completed the Bar Training/Practice Course (also known as the Bar Professional Training Course), been formally called to the Bar and successfully completed pupillage, or have full exemption from the Bar Standards Board.
We don’t accept equivalent qualifications. If you’re unsure about your eligibility contact [email removed].

You must be a fully qualified solicitor or barrister at the point of application. If successful, we must receive your practising certificate as soon as possible. We won’t be able to progress pre-employment checks until we’ve received your practising certificate has been received, and a deadline for this may be set in line with business need. If you’re able to meet these requirements by this date, you’re eligible to apply.
If there are any restrictions or special arrangements about your practising certificate, let us know by email as soon as possible.
If we find you don’t have any of these academic and professional qualifications, we will withdraw your offer of employment or terminate your contract

Memberships

You 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, you 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:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,975, Crown Prosecution Service contributes £16,215 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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.

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