SENIOR TREASURY COUNSEL
The Attorney General appoints advocates as Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court
to advise the Law Officers and the Director of Public Prosecutions, and to prosecute some of
the most complex, high profile and serious crimes in the country.
Vacancies will arise shortly for Senior Treasury Counsel and applications are invited from
barristers and solicitors (including Queen’s Counsel) to join the Treasury Counsel Team.
These positions offer the successful candidates the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of
Public and Criminal law.
Applicants should have:
• A minimum of 15 years’ experience of advocacy (including either prosecuting and/or
defending in criminal cases)
• The ability to lead in serious prosecutions
• Evidence of the ability to provide first class advice on legal, procedural and evidential issues,
often at very short notice
• The highest level of legal knowledge and the ability to assimilate the specialist knowledge
required to deal with the types of case unlikely to be encountered in normal practice i.e.
terrorism, Official Secrets Act cases and serious and complex public law work
• Extensive experience of public law, appellate work and European Convention law
• Knowledge of the legal and practical issues that arise in cross-border investigations and
prosecutions
• An understanding of the impacts of criminal justice in a diverse society
In order to be appointed advocates must be in independent practice, in chambers or a firm of
solicitors, or be prepared to move to independent practice on appointment.
Please click on the link for an application pack http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers
or contact the CPS London Board PA team via the switchboard: 0203 357 0000, to arrange
for a confidential discussion with one of the senior managers.
The closing date for applications is midnight 2nd August 2015.
Applications are positively encouraged from suitably qualified and eligible people regardless of
gender, age, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or disability
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Application for Senior Treasury Counsel
1. The origins of Treasury Counsel are steeped in history. As long ago as 1834, there
was a plan to appoint full-time public prosecutors at the Central Criminal Court
although it was not until 1879 that two counsel had been appointed to prosecute fulltime for the Crown. In 1888, the then Attorney General recommended to the
Departmental Committee on the legal business of Government that the number of
Treasury Counsel be increased. Today, Treasury Counsel number eighteen, are based
at the Central Criminal Court and are divided into two groups of eight Senior and ten
Junior Treasury Counsel.
2. Treasury Counsel are appointed by the Attorney General in consultation with the
Director of Public Prosecutions. The Treasury Counsel Committee, chaired by the
Chief Crown Prosecutor for London, makes recommendations on appointments.
3. Appointments as Senior Treasury Counsel are now open to all lawyers (including
Queen’s Counsel) who are suitably experienced and qualified.
4. Applicants must be barristers, or solicitors with relevant Higher Court Advocacy
qualifications. In order to be considered candidates must have at least 15 years’
experience (which need not be continuous) of regular advocacy.
5. In order to be appointed advocates must be in independent practice, in chambers or a
firm of solicitors, or be prepared to move to independent practice on appointment.
6.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate:
i.
extensive experience of public law, appellate work and European Convention law;
ii.
the ability to provide first class advice, often at very short notice, on complex and
sensitive legal, procedural and evidential issues;
iii.
the highest level of legal skill and the ability to assimilate the specialist knowledge
required to deal with the types of case unlikely to be encountered in usual criminal
practice for example terrorism, Official Secrets Act cases and serious and complex
public law work;
iv.
the ability to lead in serious prosecutions; and
v.
an understanding of the impacts of criminal justice in a diverse society.
6. If you are interested in this high-profile and important opportunity, please submit:
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i.
the attached application form, which should include an outline of your experience,
skills and expertise, addressing the criteria set out in the previous paragraph;
ii.
a list of up to twelve cases in which you have appeared in the last two years, which
you consider most significant as evidence of your suitability. If you have been
involved in a long running case during that time your list of cases may include a
note to that effect and may extend to a three year period. Your list should include:
a)
a brief synopsis of the case, highlighting any unusual or particularly
difficult/complex issues;
b)
the court;
c)
the name and professional address of the Judge;
d)
where relevant the name of your leader and their professional address;
A form for setting out these details is enclosed. You should add or delete rows as
necessary
iii.
two recent specimens of written work (ideally one opinion and one skeleton
argument), suitably anonymised, as evidence of your advisory ability;
7. The completed application should be returned no later than midnight 2nd
August 2015 by secure email to [email protected]
8. Applications will be short-listed and short-listed candidates invited for interview.
9. All interviews will take place in the early evening on 7th and 10th September
2015. Although every effort will be made to accommodate interviewees, it will not be
possible to arrange interviews outside those dates. Interviews will be held at CPS
Headquarters, Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HS.
10. The interview panel will be chaired by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
11. Successful candidates will be offered appointments not exceeding, in the first instance,
a period of 3 years, subject to the overriding right of the Attorney General to terminate
the appointment if he considers that the interests of the public so require. An
acceptance of appointment as Senior Treasury Counsel indicates an
acknowledgement that the work undertaken on behalf of the Attorney General and the
Crown Prosecution Service takes precedence over all other work.
12. Telephone conversations may take place with nominated referees and with any of the
professionals mentioned in the list of cases provided, in respect of short-listed
applicants. You may therefore wish to alert your nominated referees to this prospect at
an early stage.
13. Candidates who are recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to one of
the current vacancies will be placed on a waiting list for 12 months and may be offered
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an appointment should any further vacancies for Senior Treasury Counsel arise during
this period.
14. We aim to represent the community we serve and you are requested to complete and
return the Equalities Monitoring questionnaire. The information you provide will be
treated as in confidence and will not form part of the application process. It will be used
for statistical purposes only and the questionnaire will be destroyed once the
appointment process has been completed.
Thank you for your interest in these important opportunities.
Yours sincerely
Baljit Ubhey OBE
Chief Crown Prosecutor, London and Chair of the Treasury Counsel Committee
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Application for Senior Treasury Counsel
Surname:
Personal Information
Title:
Forenames:
Any previous names:
Your Current Chambers/ Practice
Name of Chambers/ Practice:
Length of time at your current Chambers/ Practice:
Years
Months
Address of Chambers/ Practice
Address for Communications (if not current
Chambers/ Practice:
E-mail:
E-mail:
Tel: Chambers:
Tel: Communications
Are you content for us to communicate with you at your current Chambers/ Practice
concerning this application?
Yes
No
(Please provide communications address and telephone number above)
Please list up to five areas of specialities
Include where possible the approximate percentage of time you spend on each
You may mention any other specialisms or areas of work in which you are
interested/ have some experience of in the space for additional information on the
last page of this form.
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Your Regular Advocacy Experience
Date commenced regular advocacy (from end of 2nd six months pupillage for barristers, date
of commencement of advocacy for solicitors):
Month:
Year:
Less any periods during which you have not undertaken regular advocacy (please detail):
Total Regular Advocacy Experience:
Years:
Months:
Your Professional Qualifications
Dates of Bar/Law Society Examinations:
Grades of Bar/Law Society Examinations:
Barristers
Date of Call:
Chambers when undertook pupillage and brief description of work undertaken:
Solicitors – Please supply details of any Higher Court advocacy qualifications:
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Your Degree and Any Post-Graduate Qualification(s)
Dates
Institution
Course/Subject
Result (including
grades)
Name and Details of two Professional Referees
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Outline your experience of Prosecuting/ Defending with particular reference to the
criteria for applicants set out in the covering letter. Please indicate what you believe are
the particular qualities you can bring as potential Senior Treasury Counsel.
MAXIMUM WORD LIMIT: 2,000 WORDS
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Additional information
MAXIMUM WORD LIMIT: 500 WORDS
9
Significant cases in the last two years1
Supreme Court
Case
Date
Synopsis
Judges
Leader
Synopsis
Judges
Leader
Synopsis
Judge(s)
Leader
Court of Appeal/High Court
Case
Date
Crown Court
Case
Date
Advisory
Date
1
Synopsis
see the letter to candidates for guidance
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Personal Information
Candidate Name:
Equalities Monitoring
The CPS aims to have a workforce which represents the community it serves. To assist us in
achieving this aim, you are invited to complete the enclosed questionnaire. The information
you provide will be treated as confidential and will not form part of the application process. It
will be used for statistical purposes only and the questionnaire will be destroyed once the
recruitment campaign has been completed.
Nationality and ethnic background
Which group do you most identify with? Please tick only ONE box in Section A and ONE box
in Section B (The options are listed alphabetically).
Section A: Nationality
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
British or Mixed British
English
Irish
Scottish
Welsh
Or any other (specify)
Section B: Ethnic background
Asian
Black
Chinese
Mixed Ethnic
Background
White
Any other Ethnic
Background
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
(I)
(J)
(K)
(L)
(M)
(O)
(P)
Bangladeshi
Indian
Pakistani
Any other Asian Background (specify)
African
Caribbean
Any other Black Background (specify )
Any Chinese Background (specify)
Asian and White
Black African and White
Black Caribbean and White
Any other Mixed Ethnic Background (specify)
British
Irish
Any other White background (specify)
(Q)
Any other Ethnic Background (specify)
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Personal Information
Candidate Name:
Equalities Monitoring
Disability
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) defines a disabled person as someone with a
physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their
ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Do you consider yourself to be disabled as defined in the DDA?
No
Yes
If you are disabled, as defined by the Act above, please give details of any
arrangements or considerations we need to take account of to enable you to participate
in the recruitment process.
If you are successful please inform the HR representative or panel at the earliest
opportunity of any reasonable adjustments which would be required to enable you to
undertake the role.
Gender
What do you consider your gender to be?
Male
Female
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Personal Information
Candidate Name:
Age
Please select your age category from the list below:
(A) 16-19
(B) 20-24
(C) 25-29
(D) 30-34
(E) 35-39
(F) 40-44
(G) 45-49
(H) 50-54
(I)
55-59
(J) 60-64
(K) 65 and over
(L) Other (please specify)
Sexuality
Which of the following best describes you?
(A) Bisexual man
(B) Bisexual woman
(C) Gay Man
(D) Gay Woman
(E) Heterosexual / Straight Man
(F) Heterosexual / Straight Woman
(G) Lesbian
(H) Other (please specify)
Religious Beliefs
Which of the following best describes you?
(A) Agnostic
(B) Atheist
(C) Bahai
(D) Buddhist
(E) Christian
(F) Hindu
(G) Jewish
(H) Muslim
(I)
Not Religious
(J) Other (please specify)
(K) Pagan
(L) Sikh
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