Job Description

This vacancy is only available to existing Civil Servant employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). Please review the "Eligibility" section before you apply.

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

Cross Government

Location

Leeds, London

Region

London, Yorkshire and the Humber

Closing Date

14-Oct-2026

Post Type

Permanent

Civil Service Grade

SEO

Number of jobs available

3

Reserve List

12 Months

Job ID

22816

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Senior Policy Advisor - Criminal Court and Miscarriages of Justice (up to 3 posts available)

SEO

Victims and Courts Directorate

The Criminal Court Procedure and Miscarriages of Justice Unit is recruiting permanently for 3 x Senior Policy Advisors. This campaign is being run externally and so is open to all who consider themselves suitable for the roles and meet the eligibility criteria in the wider advert within Civil Service Jobs.

Location:

Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following locations:

• 102 Petty France, London
• 5 Wellington Place, Leeds

Occasional travel between the two locations may be required. We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your base location (102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds).

Ways of Working

At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:

• Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
• Flexible working patterns

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range.

If you are already a civil servant and are successful in an external recruitment competition for a role with us, your starting pay will be the better of:

• promotion terms or transfer terms, as appropriate; or
• pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

MoJ is the largest government department, employing over 90,000 people with a budget of approximately £10 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

The Work of Criminal Court Procedure and Miscarriages of Justice Unit

The Criminal Court Procedure and Miscarriages of Justice Unit works on some of the most significant and high-profile issues in the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Our work covers two closely linked areas. Criminal Court Procedure focuses on policy, legislation and reform affecting criminal court processes in England and Wales. We consider how those processes operate in practice and work with partners across the justice system to deliver fair, workable change. The Miscarriages of Justice team leads policy work on criminal appeals and miscarriages of justice, including supporting those affected by wrongful convictions, reducing the risk of future miscarriages of justice, and responding to high-profile cases and inquiries. The team also considers the wider lessons these issues raise for policy and the justice system, helping to drive long-term improvement.

The unit combines policy and casework, including Post Office convictions policy and casework, and the Miscarriages of Justice Application Service, through which individuals can apply for compensation following a miscarriage of justice.

Across the unit, we work at the point where policy, law, evidence and operational delivery meet. We work closely with Ministers, senior officials and partners across the criminal justice system to provide clear advice, manage emerging risks and develop reforms that are fair, practical and deliverable.

This is a particularly important time to join the unit. Criminal court performance, court reform, criminal appeals and miscarriages of justice continue to attract significant public, political and legal interest. The work is varied, fast-paced and often sensitive, offering the opportunity to shape policy with a direct impact on the operation and integrity of the criminal justice system.

Senior Policy Advisor - the roles

All of the roles offer the opportunity to lead high-profile policy work at the heart of the criminal justice system. You will work closely with Ministers, senior officials, HMCTS, the CPS, legal professionals and partners across government to develop and implement reforms that improve how criminal courts operate in practice.

Candidates will be asked to indicate their portfolio preference during the application process. Preferences will be considered, and final allocation will depend on business need and candidate fit.

Portfolio 1 – Criminal Court Procedure

This portfolio focuses on some of the most high-profile and complex issues across the criminal courts. The work spans legislation, operational delivery and long-term reform, helping to ensure court processes remain fair, transparent and effective for everyone who uses them.

Key areas of work may include:

• Single Justice Procedure (SJP) – a major area of work for the team. SJP allows certain low-level offences to be resolved by a single magistrate outside of a traditional court hearing and is often the public’s most common interaction with the criminal justice system. It accounts for about half of all magistrate court cases. The role includes work to strengthen safeguards, improve transparency and public confidence, implement recommendations from the recent consultation on private prosecutors and SJP, and develop reforms to improve defendant engagement and experience, recognising that many defendants currently do not respond to the process and are currently tried in their absence.
• Magistrates’ Court Reform and Efficiency – supporting wider work to improve the effectiveness of the magistrates’ courts in the context of increasing demand across the criminal courts. This includes ensuring procedural reforms are practical, deliverable and support efficient case progression while maintaining fairness.
• Fair Trial and Open Justice Issues – leading policy on fundamental justice principles, which could include work on contempt of court, double jeopardy, anonymity, reporting restrictions and transparency. This work often involves balancing public access to justice with protecting vulnerable individuals and safeguarding the integrity of criminal proceedings.

This role would suit someone who enjoys working across legislation, policy development and implementation, whilst considering how procedural reforms affect those interacting with the criminal justice system.

Portfolio 2 – Defendant Court Process

This portfolio covers criminal court processes that directly affect defendants in England and Wales. The postholder will independently lead a varied portfolio spanning policy development, legislation and implementation. Current priorities include:

• reviewing non-financial support for unrepresented defendants
• implementing reforms on non-attendance at sentencing hearings
• developing policy on unfitness to plead

Working across policy, legal, analytical and operational boundaries, the postholder will develop evidence-based options, assess risks and delivery implications, and provide clear recommendations to Ministers and senior officials.

The role requires strong policy judgement, personal ownership and the ability to turn complex issues into practical, deliverable outcomes.

Portfolio 3 – Criminal Appeals and Miscarriages of Justice Policy

Miscarriages of justice are rare but devastating to those who are affected. They also undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system. The team’s work directly changes the lives of those who have suffered miscarriages of justice, and the focus is to actively prevent future wrongful convictions.

The postholder will lead a varied portfolio. Responsibilities may include:

• Leading policy work on forensic science and expert evidence, helping to ensure fair access to forensic evidence across the criminal justice system and supporting parity of arms between the prosecution and defence.
• Acting as the Ministry of Justice's policy sponsor for the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the independent body responsible for investigating potential miscarriages of justice and referring appropriate cases back to the courts.
• Managing the Miscarriage of Justice Support Service Grant, overseeing funding arrangements that provide practical and emotional support to people who have experienced a miscarriage of justice.
• Leading policy work on high-profile miscarriages of justice and criminal appeals issues, including responding to emerging challenges and supporting ministers on sensitive cases.

As much of our unit’s work is cross-cutting, we work closely together and regularly discuss areas of overlap. These are fantastic roles for someone who wants to combine active policy making with real change which will have a positive impact on society as a whole. You will be encouraged to identify your own development needs, as well as supporting the wider unit.

Key Responsibilities

Whichever portfolio you join, you will:

• Lead complex policy projects and reforms, often involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Assess evidence, options, risks and operational implications
• Manage competing priorities and escalate risks appropriately
• Provide clear submissions, advice and briefings to Ministers and senior officials on sensitive and high-profile issues.
• Build effective and strong relationships across the Criminal Justice System, including HMCTS, HMPPS, legal professionals, operational colleagues and other government departments.
• Produce high-quality written and oral advice, including submissions, briefings, Parliamentary material, correspondence and responses to Parliamentary Questions.
• Work in a supportive and collaborative team environment whilst helping shape the future of criminal court policy.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Strong policy judgement, with the ability to identify key issues, understand wider system impacts, balance competing priorities and provide clear, evidence-based recommendations.
• Experience of analysing and synthesising complex evidence, data, legal or technical advice to inform policy development, strategy and decision-making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience of producing clear, concise and persuasive advice for senior audiences and adapting messages for different stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to build effective relationships and work confidently with a range of partners, including Ministers, senior officials, operational colleagues and external stakeholders.
• The ability to take ownership of complex workstreams, translating broad objectives into clear plans and delivering high-quality outcomes at pace.
• Experience of managing competing priorities, identifying risks and opportunities, and driving progress with minimal supervision.

Desirable:

• Experience or knowledge of the criminal justice system.
• Experience of working on policy where legislation, evidence and operational delivery interact.

Additional Information

• If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.
• Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.
• The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Experience

You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.

You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words stating what you would bring to the role, with reference to the Skills and Experience listed above.

Behaviours

During the application process you will be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviours:

• Leadership (Lead)
• Communicating and influencing

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:

Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Leadership. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.

Candidates invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely.

At interview you will be assessed against behaviours where you will be asked to provide examples of how you have demonstrated them. In addition, you will also be asked strength-based questions.

Behaviours:

The following Behaviours will be tested at interview:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and use the WHO or STAR model to explain:

• WHO - What it was? How you approached the work/situation? What the Outcomes were, what did you achieve?Or
• STAR - What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take?  What were the Results of your actions?

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:

Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK

Strengths:

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However, you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role. While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this. Further information on Civil Service Strengths can be found via this link Success Profiles: Strengths - GOV.UK

Presentation:

Candidates invited to interview will be asked to prepare a 5-minute short presentation, the details of which will be shared with applicants who are successful at the sift stage.

Interviews are expected to take place in October or Early November 2026

Contact information

Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about the role or what it is like working in our team.

• Portfolio 1 – Criminal Court Procedure: hambridge1@justice.gov.uk
• Portfolio 2 – Defendant Court Process: maddison@justice.gov.uk
• Portfolio 3 – Criminal Appeals and Miscarriages of Justice Policy: atwell1@justice.gov.uk

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

• To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

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:

• 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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
• 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) 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 22816

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

Job Description Attachment

• SEO Criminal Court Procedure and Miscarriages of Justice JD (ext) Final.docx (Job Description Attachment)
• Download | Preview | Open in a new tab
• Close preview

Select new file

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

Communicating and Influencing

Delivering at Pace

Experience

We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods

CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Statement of Suitability

Guidance for the Statement of Suitability

You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words stating what you would bring to the role, with reference to the Skills and Experience listed above.

Evidence of Experience

CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates

Interviews are expected to take place in October or Early November 2026

Behaviours

Leadership

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.

Other Assessments

Which assessment methods will be used?

Presentation

Level of security checks required

Baseline Personnal Security Standard (BPSS)

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.