Crown Prosecutor (May 2024)
Crown Prosecution Service
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 2nd June 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Are you a talented barrister or solicitor looking to progress your career and take the next step into criminal law?
The crown prosecutor position is our entry level lawyer role, ideal if you’re a newly qualified lawyer or have no criminal law experience. You’re based in the magistrates’ court, working with prosecution teams to review and present evidence in cases ranging from burglary and common assault, to motoring and drugs offences. Your work is challenging, varied and rewarding. You make a real difference in society, helping to secure justice for victims and witnesses of crime.
Crown prosecutors attend court in person for most of the working week. You benefit from a wealth of exposure and experience in the criminal court, furthering your criminal justice system knowledge and potential career progression.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to the professional growth of our workforce, and we have created clear paths of progression to support prosperous careers. You benefit from a structured induction training plan, an individual learning account and opportunities to shadow colleagues across the organisation. You can apply for promotion opportunities including our senior crown prosecutor roles, aimed at lawyers with criminal law experience.
Find out what our crown prosecutors say about working at the CPS, cps.gov.uk/careers/prosecutor
Job description
As a crown prosecutor you decide whether there’s enough evidence to prosecute cases in the magistrates’ court. Initially you work on straightforward cases, quickly progressing to deal with more serious casework. Once you’ve completed the Crown Prosecutor 5 Learning Stages, you’re able to advise police and other investigators - except statutory pre-charge advice, and undertake advocacy, review and case preparation in summary and either-way matters heard in the magistrates’ court.
See the attached job description for all role responsibilities.
Person specification
- You must be a qualified practising lawyer with an interest in criminal law.
- You must demonstrate your commitment to public service, making a difference to the communities we serve and our CPS values.
- You’re focused on personal development and career progression.
Qualifications
Academic: You must have a law degree, Common Professional Examination and/or Graduate Diploma in Law.
Professional: You must have completed a Legal Practice Course, Solicitors Qualifying Exam or Bar Professional Training Course and 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.
or
CILEx: 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 s.71 (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 courts or magistrates' courts in order to meet the requirements for a Crown Prosecutor specified by section 1 Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. If you don’t hold this CILEx qualification, 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.
If you apply and are found not to possess any of the above, any offer of employment will be withdrawn, or contract terminated.
Equivalent qualifications won’t be accepted. If you’re unsure about your eligibility please contact NationalLawyerRecruitment@cps.gov.uk
The eligibility criteria must be met by Monday 22nd July 2024. If you’re able to obtain a valid Practising Certificate and will be fully qualified by this date, you’re eligible to apply.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- You must have a Law Degree or Common Professional Examination/Graduate Diploma in Law
- You must have completed a Legal Practice Course, Solicitors Qualifying Exam or Bar Vocational Course/Bar Professional Training Course You must have completed the relevant pupillage / training contract
- You must be a qualified Barrister or Solicitor
- You must demonstrate motivation
- You must demonstrate the appropriate level of legal Intellect
Benefits
Join the Crown Prosecution Service and find your purpose
Delivering justice is a complex pursuit with work that is sometimes emotionally challenging, which is why we offer a range of benefits including:
- a Civil Service contributory pension of up to 27%
- 25 days’ leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years
- an extra privilege day to mark the King's birthday
- competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
- flexible working and a family-friendly approach to work
- a Cycle2Work scheme, employee savings
- a range of learning and development activities, an individual learning account, and central and local development opportunities.
We offer hybrid working, which can enable you to work a proportion of your role remotely. Eligibility and the degree of home working will vary depending on the requirements of your role. Further details can be discussed at offer stage.
Crown Prosecutors
Please note, while the CPS operates a hybrid working policy, Crown Prosecutors are court-based positions only. Successful candidates will therefore be required in-person at court daily, to carry out the responsibilities of the role. The CPS is a disability confident employer so is committed to make reasonable adjustments which will enable daily attendance at court.
We encourage you to consider if the commute from home to the office/court is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. If you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application
CV
Please upload an up-to-date CV which includes your:
- career history with key responsibilities
- skills and experience
- achievements
- qualifications to practise as a lawyer in England and Wales.
You need to attach your CV as one document. Although it won’t be marked, it provides the panel with an insight into your work history and experience.
It’s your responsibility to provide the right information in the right format to ensure that you’re considered for the post.
Assessment and interview
Legal assessment (from w/c 17 June - 28 June 2024)
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you’re invited to an online Microsoft Teams meeting to complete a legal-based assessment, present your answers and respond to follow-up questions. You’re given general research pointers in advance.
Final interview (from w/c 8 July - 19 July 2024 )
If you pass the legal assessment, you’re invited to a Microsoft Teams meeting where you’re interviewed by a CPS panel to assess your suitability for the role.
You can find the assessment and interview dates in the candidate pack. These may be subject to change and it’s not always possible to offer alternative dates.
You book your own assessment and interview slot through Civil Service Jobs. Once you’ve selected your preferred time slot, we send you a Microsoft Teams link. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can accommodate them on the day.
Applications may be submitted in Welsh. Please contact us at NationalLawyerRecruitment@cps.gov.uk if you want your interview and assessment to be carried out in Welsh.
Making offers
You can choose three office location preferences from the list provided. If you’re successful, we aim to offer one of your choices in the first instance. Whilst every effort is made to accommodate your location preferences, the CPS is a national organisation with differences in operational recovery, vacancy levels and caseloads around the country – which means you may be offered a role in another CPS area to your preference.
Please note that the lead behaviour at interview stage is Communicating and Influencing. We may use this to determine merit order where candidates have the same overall score.
Waiting list
Once appointments are made under the location merit process, any remaining candidates who have passed stay on a waiting list for 12 months.
There may be opportunities within your other location preferences. Or you may be approached for one of these other locations outside of your initial preference.
If you’re offered a position that you can’t accept because of extenuating circumstances, you may be able to stay on the waiting list. However, it expires 12 months after the interviews take place and positions for your first preference can’t be guaranteed.
Information sessions
We will hold an online information session – this is a live web chat where you can ask us questions about your application, the process or the role. You can register here:
- Wednesday 22nd May – Crown Prosecutor Session – 1pm- 1:45pm- register here
- Wednesday 29th May – Crown Prosecutor/ Senior Crown Prosecutor session – 1pm – 1:45pm - register here
Other
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’re still not satisfied, you can make a further complaint through the Civil Service Commission complaints page:
http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/
Civil Service Commission recruitment principles can be found here - http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/
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 : National Lawyer Recruitment Team
- Email : NationalLawyerRecruitment@cps.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : strategic.resourcing@cps.gov.uk
