Do you want to be part of an organisation that makes a difference by helping to secure justice for the people of Scotland?
This is an exciting opportunity to join Scotland’s sole prosecution service in a fast paced and rewarding job role.
Procurator Fiscal Depute
Profession
Legal
Location
Aberdeen and Inverness
Contract terms
Permanent, Full-time
Salary
Starting fulltime salary will be £41,384 rising to £53,012 in annual increments subject to satisfactory performance and future COPFS awards.
Benefits:
We offer an excellent range of benefits which include:
- 25 days paid holiday + 11.5 public and privilege holidays (rising to 30 days paid holiday after 4 years).
- Flexible working hours (around core time).
- Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loans.
- Civil Service pension with employer contributions.
- Family friendly benefits.
- Employees Wellbeing Support with Mental Health First Aiders and access to an Employee Assistance Programme.
Closing Date
Friday 17th September 2021
About COPFS
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of all crime in Scotland; the investigation of deaths which require further explanation; and the investigation of complaints against the police.
About the Team
Local Court Grampian, Highland & Islands is responsible for the preparation and prosecution of summary and Sheriff and Jury level business across all Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Courts in the Sheriffdom.
The Aberdeen summary team is led by a Principal Procurator Fiscal Depute, who manages a team of legal staff responsible for courts in Aberdeen, Peterhead and Banff.
The Inverness summary team is led by a Principal Procurator Fiscal Depute, who manages a team of legal staff primarily responsible for courts in Inverness, Elgin, Tain, Fort William and Portree but also occasionally required to attend other courts in Highland and the Islands.
About the Role
As a Procurator Fiscal Depute you will play a key role in the criminal justice system. You will take decisions on criminal proceedings, conduct courts and work closely with the police and other criminal justice partners to improve the efficient delivery of justice for local communities.
This is demanding role, acting in the public interest as one of the Lord Advocate’s local representatives, requiring common sense, good judgement and decision making, flexibility, legal and advocacy skills and a sound knowledge of the criminal law system in Scotland. Whilst there will be opportunities to undertake a variety of duties within COPFS, the main essence of the role is to mark cases, prepare and present cases effectively in court and deal sensitively and appropriately with victims and witnesses.
You must be passionate about serving the public interest at all times; confident in making complex decisions, based on independent assessment of all the available evidence; and enthusiastic about public service and meeting the needs of victims and witnesses.You will be placed in Aberdeen or Inverness initially, however, you may be relocated to another office within the mobility rules for career development and for absence cover.
Role Specific Responsibilities, Activities and Duties
Successful candidates will initially take up posts in the Aberdeen and Inverness summary teams, but there will be opportunities to work in other parts of the Grampian, Highland and Islands team in due course. Generally, these posts are characterised by similar skill requirements and job weights as below:Non-Court Legal Duties
- Marking of criminal reports
- Summary Court preparation
- Solemn Court preparation
- Drafting charges and legal documents
- Dealing with appeals
- Dealing with warrants
- Caseload management
- Consultation with witnesses
- Preparation of reports to Crown Counsel
Court Related Duties
- Preparation for and conduct of Summary criminal courts
- Preparation for and conduct of Solemn criminal courts
- Dealing with issues relating to victims, witnesses, other relevant parties and obtaining of evidence
Please note this is not an exhaustive list and other duties may be required as appropriate to the role.Essential Criteria Required As well as the competencies within the application pack:
- Candidates must be a solicitor or advocate qualified to practice in Scotland and hold a valid unrestricted practicing certificate.
- The applicant must have a full clean driving license.
- Ability to prioritise between and meet competing demands within deadlines
- Ability to identify and interpret relevant information and to reach sound conclusions on the basis of that information
- Ability to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of criminal law
Desirable Criteria
- Ideally the candidate should have good IT Skills and the ability to work effectively within a team and on own initiative.
- They will also possess a high level of verbal and written communication skills.
Contact Us
If you have any queries please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Additional Information
Application packs are available to download from our website https://www.copfs.gov.uk/careers.
Please note that we do not accept CVs.
Selection will be competency based.
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has ongoing measures and guidance in its response to Covid-19 (Coronavirus), and would like to advise applicants that a decision has been taken that all interviews and any other discussions in the process must be conducted in a virtual/remote setting.In order to facilitate this way of working, COPFS asks all applicants to ensure that they have a suitable space to participate in the virtual interview and discussions as well as access to a personal device of choice by which you can undertake the interview/assessment if selected. Please ensure that your personal Wi-Fi/Broadband capacity will be sufficient to carry both audio and video.
COPFS has exemptions from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) and we must also adhere to strict Civil Service and Cabinet Office Baseline Personnel Security Standards regarding nationality, identity and history verification rules.
We are an Equal Opportunities and Disability Confident Employer.If you have any queries please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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