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Home > About the GLS > GLS Departments > Ministry of Justice Ministry of Justice (MoJ) The Ministry of Justice is a major new department of state, created for the purpose of improving the justice system for the public. Its creation brings together responsibilities in government for criminal, civil and family justice and placing them within their broader constitutional context to give an unprecedented overview of the justice system as a whole. The business of the Ministry of Justice encompasses a wide range of operational work in the justice system, as well as high profile constitutional and legal policy, including: · running the courts and tribunals and
oversight of coroners We are responsible within Government for upholding justice, rights and democracy. Our objectives are to provide effective and accessible justice; to ensure people’s rights and responsibilities; and to enhance democratic freedoms by modernising and safeguarding the constitution. We are also responsible for protecting the public by ensuring those who need to be detained are held in secure and safe environments. We have just created a new Legal Directorate to deliver legal services (legislation, policy advisory and casework) across the full agenda of Ministry of Justice work, and to support the Ministry of Justice in realising the benefits to the public for which it was created. At present, we are 8 substantial legal groupings. Our senior leadership team comprises our Legal Director, Rowena Collins Rice, together with the 8 Assistant Legal Directors. Work of the Legal Team There are about 90 lawyers in our headquarters legal team. We provide a wide range of services across all of the Ministry’s subject areas: Legislative work In recent years, we have had a heavy legislative programme. Many of us work on Bills, helping our colleagues in the Ministry to turn policy into law and helping our ministers to take it through Parliament. Recently, for example, we have worked on the Constitutional Reform Act, the Mental Capacity Act, the Gender Recognition Act, Criminal Justice Bills, the Offender Management Act, the Legal Services Bill and the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act. We have also worked on legislation sponsored by other departments, such as the Civil Partnerships Act and the Children and Adoption Act. Drafting We draft all the Ministry’s secondary legislation. This includes rules of court for family, civil and criminal business; instruments to implement and give effect to primary legislation; rules governing the operation of prisons and other custodial facilities; and regulations governing legal aid. Litigation We do not litigate for the Ministry; that service is provided by the Treasury Solicitor. But we are involved in many of the cases that might go to court. These are a mixture of private law cases, judicial reviews against the Ministry or against a court, interventions on behalf of the Crown and employment tribunal cases. We work with our clients to help them avoid litigation, and we instruct the Treasury Solicitor where necessary. Much of our litigation is high profile and cases regularly go the House of Lords and Strasbourg. Advisory work We are the Ministry’s in-house legal advisers, and we have a busy advisory practice. Some of this work is strategic, perhaps examining a problem in the justice system in partnership with other teams across the Department and looking for solutions. Other tasks are more immediate, for example advising on an employment case or advising ministers on the extent of a statutory power. In some cross-cutting subjects, our advisory work has a distinctive inter-departmental element and we co-ordinate information and thinking across the Government Legal Service. The subjects are human rights, devolution, freedom of information and data protection. Other legal teams This information sheet only describes the headquarters
legal team. There are other legal teams in the Ministry, or associated
with it. The largest teams are in the Royal Courts of Justice (Criminal
Appeal Office, Civil Appeals Office, and Administrative Court Office),
the Law Commission, and the Office
of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee. Legal Trainee & Pupillage Opportunities Legal Trainees and Pupil Barristers are recruited through the GLS Legal Trainee Scheme. In the 2007 competition we recruited 1 trainee solicitor to commence in 2009.
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 Selborne House, 54 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QW Further Information For more information on the Department, go to our website: http://www.justice.gov.uk If you are interested in joining us either as a qualified lawyer or legal trainee, please click on the links to find out more about the about the GLS schemes. If you would then like to know more, please contact: Legal trainees: Emma Robinson (020 7210 8713 Email:
emma.robinson@justice.gsi.gov.uk) |
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