D2 / Grade 7, Criminal Lawyer, Nationwide

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Criminal team as a D2/Grade 7 lawyer within the Legal Services Directorate as it continues to grow., Upon joining the team, you will become part of the Government Legal Profession and a non-exhaustive list of responsibilities will be:

• To manage a caseload of varying complexity from the decision whether to prosecute through to trial and sentence


• To give clear, accurate and timely advice where required on the conduct of criminal investigations


• To instruct Counsel or agent solicitors where appropriate


• To build effective working relationships with colleagues involved in the Services enforcement work, particularly with our investigators to develop and pursue focused case strategies


• To work on cross-Whitehall initiatives as part of the Government Legal Profession,


• To contribute to knowledge management and sharing best practice


• To deliver training across the Service and potential to supervise paralegals undertaking CILEx


• To attend court and undertake advocacy in the Magistrates Court as appropriate


• To travel to senior leader conferences and other regional centres as and when require, Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed and a score of 50% or above achieved, at CILEx Level 6, in all the following foundation subjects:


• Contract Law


• Criminal Law


• Equity and Trusts Law


• European Union Law


• Land Law


• Public Law


• Law of Tort, The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.


We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.,
• 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)


• 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, A candidate can raise a complaint to the Insolvency Service by emailing the contact point for applicants (as listed on the vacancy advert), if they think that: They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010 there have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved. Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles

(appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised to the Insolvency Service

The role involves prosecuting a wide range of offences across England and Wales, concerned with insolvency related crime and corporate misconduct. We are looking for intellectually capable, highly motivated criminal lawyers with powerful communication skills. You need to have sound judgment and good analytical skills and a commitment to using feedback to learn and develop as a professional., We are looking for highly motivated lawyers with strong interpersonal skills and who are able to work well within a team. You will need to have sound judgement and good analytical skills., Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx. Barristers and Solicitors qualified in a jurisdiction outside of England and Wales will be subject to the rules of the professional bodies and must have completed the Bar Transfer Test or Qualified Lawyer Transfer Scheme.,
• Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2.1-degree equivalence as set out below.


Academic qualifications

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 degree in their first degree (in any subject). Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree

However, the Insolvency Service will consider applicants who do not have a 2.1 degree (or above) (e.g. where a lower degree classification is held, or, where applicants have (under the rules of the professional bodies) qualified as a Solicitor/Barrister/ Chartered Legal Executives without a degree) but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)).

Chartered Legal Executives should note that the department will be willing to accept an, overall, average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law (where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating 2.1 degree equivalence (where a 2.1 degree is not held)., Legal Professional Skills

• A sound knowledge and experience of criminal law, including evidence, disclosure, procedure, and confiscation


• Reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risk


• Sound legal analysis and research skills


• Good understanding of public law


Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of advocacy in the Magistrates' court, Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales., Making Effective Decisions


• Communicating and Influencing


• Delivering at Pace, A sound knowledge and experience of criminal law, including evidence, disclosure, procedure, and confiscation


• Reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risk


• Sound legal analysis and research skills


• Good understanding of public law


Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of advocacy in the Magistrates' court


Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions'. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

We will test your behaviours and experience as part of the sift process, and if successful, you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours, skills and experience. A written exercise may be provided prior to the interview, further details will be provided to those successful at sift., Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) introduced reforms intended to promote greater integrity and transparency around the Companies House register. To support the reforms several new offences have been introduced which the Insolvency Service will have a key role in investigating and prosecuting.

The Criminal Team currently prosecutes a wide range of offences concerned with insolvency related crime and corporate misconduct. The team also provides operational advice across the agency with particular focus on criminal and statutory investigations.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career. Legal Services consists of approximately 82 staff who make up our Criminal, Civil Enforcement Teams and a Paralegal Team. We provide legal services to the Service that includes advisory work and conducting criminal and civil litigation.

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include LGBT+, FACES, Disability & Health, Break the Stigma, Women's, The Shed, Carers, Part Time Workers, No Limits and Grass Roots.

We offer flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities., The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

£51,518
£51,518 to £58,828 (National) and £53,400 to £61,588 (London). Please note that negotiations for the Insolvency Service 2023 Pay Award are still ongoing.
A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%, Alongside your salary of £51,518, Insolvency Service contributes £13,909 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides., We want you have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do so we offer a great benefits package:

• Flexible working arrangements and flexi-time.


• Full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years' service.


• In addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave.


• Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave.


• 5 days paid leave for learning and development


• 5 days paid for volunteering


• Cycle to work scheme


• Staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life.


A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

• Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk


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