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Home > About the GLS > GLS Departments > Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

We are one of the largest departmental legal teams in Whitehall, consisting of eight legal advisory teams and a legal policy team headed at SCS level. There are approximately 80 members of legal directorate. We have recently moved to modern refurbished premises with excellent facilities over looking St James Park. Below is a short description of the work of the various teams.

Courts and Tribunals team -

A dvises on the work of courts, tribunals and other judicial decision-makers, and the structures and systems that underpin their activities. We work with some of the Ministry's main operational agencies, in particular Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) and the Tribunals Service. The work involves a mix of new legislation, implementing enacted legislation and support and development of existing systems.

Offender Management team -

Provides legal services to the National Offender Management Service and parts of the Criminal Justice pillar of the Ministry. The core elements of the work are advising on sentencing policy for adults and juveniles which involves both technical legal questions as well as involvement in policy development.

Judiciary and Legal Services team -

Is responsible for the full range of legal services (Bill work, drafting of secondary legislation, advisory work, and litigation) in relation to the judiciary, legal aid and legal services providers.

Information and Human Rights team -

I s responsible for advising on human rights law and information law, subjects for which MoJ has the policy lead in Whitehall. The team is responsible for co-ordinating legal advice on their subjects across Whitehall and ensuring that departments' lines are consistent with Government policy. There are three sub-teams, The Human Rights Law team, The Freedom of Information team and The Data Protection team.

Corporate Governance team -

The key purpose of this team is to enable decisions to be taken by MoJ about its own legal relationships with knowledge of the legal risks and their financial and reputational consequences e.g. employment and the procurement of goods and services.

Civil and Family Law team –

Advises on subjects as diverse as, reform of the law governing limitation periods, land law, wills and succession, general tort and contract, private international law and civil judicial co-operation, defamation, "compensation culture" and the law of damages, forced marriages, domestic violence, reciprocal enforcement of maintenance, mental capacity and civil enforcement.

Criminal Law team –

The main areas of work are criminal law policy, criminal procedure, victims and witnesses and mental disordered offenders. The team provides the full range of legal services to the Office of Criminal Justice Reform, and the Criminal law policy unit and the Mental Health Unit in the MoJ.

Constitutional Law team -

Advises on all aspects of the constitutional settlement and the government's constitutional reform agenda. Work includes co-ordination of the Constitutional Renewal Bill which will implement the results of consultations on reform of prerogative powers relating to treaties and reform of the civil service.

Legal Policy team –

Is a new team within legal directorate consisting of legal and policy professionals, to think creatively and strategically about law, legislation and the use of legal expertise to deliver substantial improvements in business outcomes e.g. delivery of an enhanced role of the Law Commission within government.

Legal Trainee & Pupillage Opportunities

‘Important, high profile and above all, interesting’ is how a current fourth seat trainee describes his training with MoJ.
Trainee solicitors have four six-month seats covering advisory work and, subject to business needs, legislative work. Though there are some opportunities for litigation experience e.g. Strasbourg and domestic proceedings involving cross-Whitehall human rights issues, trainees take their litigation seat as a guest in a department with litigation teams. Recent trainees have been seconded to TSol, DEFRA and the CPS. Due to the size of the directorate we are able to offer trainees experience in diverse areas of law. One of the seats is usually with the Information and Human Rights team. Recent trainees have worked directly with senior lawyers and policy colleagues on constitutional matters, the extra-territorial extent of the European Convention on Human Rights, briefing ministers, advising on proposed legislation and drafting of secondary legislation.

Qualified Lawyer Vacancies

Vacancies for posts in this Department are advertised through the central GLS scheme. All vacancies are posted on the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway (this link will open in a new window).

Location

102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ

Further Information

For more information on the Department, go to our website: http://www.justice.gov.uk