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Welcome to the August 2019 edition of Judging Your Future, the monthly JAC newsletter.

Please see below for more information on open and forthcoming selection exercises.
 

Forthcoming applications

Salaried Legal Roles

Regional Employment Judge

Applications open: 26 September 2019 – 13:00
Closing date:  10 October, 2019 - 13:00
Salary:  £140,289
Location: 4 vacancies - 1 post in London Central, London South, South East, North West

Regional Employment Judges of the Employment Tribunals sit throughout England and Wales, currently in 10 Regional Offices and 28 or more hearing centres.

Regional Employment Judges exercise a delegated responsibility from the President of Employment Tribunals for managing the judicial resources in their region. The main activities of a Regional Employment judge are:

  • allocating cases to Judges and Members
  • determining the composition of Tribunals hearing cases
  • overseeing judicial training and management of judicial standards
  • ensuring high standards of case management and hearings, by providing appropriate guidance, advice and support
  • carrying out performance and development appraisal for Judges
  • maintaining a close working relationship with local and regional HMCTS management and the listing staff
  • assisting the President, as part of the national leadership and committee structure of the Employment Tribunals, on a wide range of strategic and policy matters, as directed by the President

In addition, Regional Employment Judges sit regularly, including on cases which are particularly difficult, sensitive or significant and cases remitted on appeal.
 

Who can apply?

By statute, this competition is only open to salaried Employment Judges. In addition, candidates should be able to offer a reasonable length of service, usually of 5 years, before the statutory retirement age of 70.


Sign up for alerts to receive email notifications concerning the progress of this exercise up to launch.

s9(1) Authorisation to act as a High Court Judge


Applications open: TBC - late September 2019
Closing date:  TBC - mid/late October 2019 (3 week application window)
Salary:  TBC
Location: TBC
 

The Judicial Appointments Commission has been asked to identify up to 35 candidates to recommend for authorisation to act as judges of the High Court in accordance with s9(1) of the Senior Courts Act 1981.

Successful candidates could be deployed to sit across any of the three divisions of the High Court (Chancery, Family and the Queen’s Bench) and anywhere in England and Wales. At the time of launch, the JAC will publish a breakdown of the current business need to better enable candidates to assess where successful candidates are likely to be deployed. This is subject to change throughout the course of the exercise.

Those authorised to act as a judge of the High Court will be expected to undertake work which would otherwise be undertaken by salaried High Court judges. Candidates applying for this post must be of high calibre, exceptional ability and able to demonstrate the same skills and abilities as those in the High Court.

Successful candidates will be authorised for a fixed term of 4 years.

Who can apply

You are eligible to apply for this post if you hold one of the following judicial offices:

  • Chamber President or Deputy Chamber President of a chamber of the Upper Tribunal or of a chamber of the First-tier Tribunal
  • Judge or Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal
  • President of Employment Tribunals (England and Wales) or President of Employment Tribunals (Scotland)
  • Circuit Judge
  • Recorder

For the Queen’s Bench Division, expertise in any of the Division’s work is desirable.

In addition, candidates should be able to offer a reasonable length of service, usually of 4 years, before the statutory retirement age of 70.

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President of the Employment Tribunals


Applications open: TBC - 2 October 2019 (13:00)
Closing date:  TBC - 16 October 2019 (13:00)
Salary:  £151,497
Location:  Expected to travel to tribunal venues throughout England and Wales

The JAC has been asked to identify 1 candidate to recommend for the post of President of the Employment Tribunals (England and Wales).

The Employment Tribunals (England and Wales) is an independent judicial body that makes decisions in legal disputes around employment law. It was established to resolve disputes between employers and employees over employment rights. The tribunal will hear claims about employment matters such as unfair dismissal, discrimination, wages and redundancy payments.

Although the President may be based in any HMCTS location as agreed, a significant number of meetings will take place in London.

Who can apply

You are eligible to apply for this post if you are a:

  • solicitor or barrister in England or Wales with at least 5 years post-qualification legal experience
  • solicitor or advocate in Scotland with at least 5 years post-qualification legal experience
  • solicitor or barrister in Northern Ireland with at least 5 years post-qualification legal experience

Additional selection criteria

Substantial experience of employment and equality law and of Employment Tribunal practice and procedure is essential.

Candidates are also expected to have previous judicial experience, sitting as a judge in a salaried or fee-paid capacity or a similar role such as the chair of an equivalent body for which a legal qualification is required.

The length of judicial experience required is a minimum of 30 completed sitting days since appointment, not including training or sick days.

Only in exceptional cases and if the candidate in question has demonstrated the necessary skills in some other significant way should an exception be made.

In addition, candidates should be able to offer a reasonable length of service, usually of 5 years, before the statutory retirement age of 70.


About the role

The President will provide the jurisdictional lead for Employment Tribunals in England and Wales, working closely with Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which provides the administrative support for Employment Tribunals. The President will contribute to the senior judicial management team supporting the Senior President of Tribunals through his/her membership of the Tribunals Judiciary Executive Board. In addition, the President will maintain a close working relationship with the Senior President of Tribunals and will assist him/her, as required, to achieve the agreed policy objectives of the tribunals judiciary. The President is a judicial member of the Employment Jurisdiction Board and may also be nominated to serve on other boards, committees or working groups (such as the Tribunals Judicial Activity Group and others) by the Senior President of Tribunals.

Sign up for alerts to receive email notifications concerning the progress of this exercise.

Chamber President of the First-tier Tribunal, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber


Applications open: TBC
Closing date:  TBC
Salary:  £151,497

Location:  Although the President may be based in any HMCTS location as agreed, they will also be required to travel to other meetings and hearings at other HMCTS sites as required.

The JAC has been asked to identify one candidate to recommend for the post of Chamber President of the First-tier Tribunal, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber. This exercise is expected to launch at 13:00 on 2 October 2019.

Who can apply

You are eligible to apply for this post if you are a judge of the Upper Tribunal or:

  • a solicitor or barrister in England or Wales with at least 7 years post-qualification legal experience
  • an advocate or solicitor in Scotland with at least 7 years post-qualification legal experience
  • a barrister or solicitor in Northern Ireland of at least 7 years post-qualification legal experience
  • in the opinion of the Senior President of Tribunals, you have gained experience in law which makes you as suitable for appointment as if you satisfy any of the conditions above

Additional selection criteria

Candidates are also expected to have previous judicial experience, sitting as a judge in a salaried or fee-paid capacity or a similar role such as the chair of an equivalent body for which a legal qualification is required.

The length of judicial experience required is a minimum of 30 completed sitting days since appointment, not including training or sick days.

Only in exceptional cases and if the candidate in question has demonstrated the necessary skills in some other significant way should an exception be made.

In addition, candidates should be able to offer a reasonable length of service, usually of 5 years, before the statutory retirement age of 70.
 

About the role

The President of the First-tier Tribunal Health Education and Social Care Chamber is a senior tribunals leadership role.

The Chamber President has a number of powers and responsibilities, which, with few exceptions, are non-delegable.

He or she is the President of 1 of the 4 largest chambers or tribunals in the unified tribunals system, with responsibility for (presently) 2 Deputy Chamber Presidents, 1 salaried Chief Medical Member, 23 salaried tribunal judges and approximately 1,250 fee-paid judicial office holders (judges, medical members, professional members and specialist lay members) -- with further recruitment of judges and members under way.

As well as his or her responsibilities within the Chamber, the President discharges a number of other duties and responsibilities as a member of the tribunals senior leadership team and/or nominated to him/her by the Senior President within HMCTS or the Ministry of Justice and within the wider courts and tribunals.

As well as any sitting responsibilities, the Chamber President’s key responsibilities include: the administration of justice in the Chamber, the career development and health and welfare of the Chamber’s judiciary, judicial conduct complaints and discipline, judicial forecasting and recruitment and relations with Chamber users and stakeholders. There is considerable travel to and time spent in London. Regular travel to the Chamber’s other administrative bases across England is required.

Sign up for alerts to receive email notifications concerning the progress of this exercise.

Copyright © 2019 Judicial Appointments Commission, All rights reserved.


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