Application for Senior Treasury Counsel

APPLICATION FOR SENIOR TREASURY COUNSEL 

CLOSING DATE MONDAY 11th MARCH 2019 

Treasury Counsel are professionals with high standards and expertise and prosecute the most serious and complex cases in the country, including acts of terrorism and murder. It is vitally important that the best advocates are selected for prosecution work of this nature. 

The Attorney General appoints advocates as Treasury Counsel to advise the Law Officers, the Director of Public Prosecutions and other government departments, and to prosecute some of the most complex, high profile and serious cases in the country. 

Senior Treasury Counsel are appointed for 3 years with the possibility of an extension. It is not a requirement that you served as Junior Treasury Counsel previously but you will need to explain and demonstrate your ability to take on the calibre of cases reserved for Treasury Counsel. They will be based at and often appear at the Central Criminal Court in London but are expected to appear at any court in England and Wales. Instructions may include those from the CPS headquarters casework divisions; from the homicide prosecution team in London and elsewhere, as well any other serious and sensitive casework. 

Applicants should be barristers, or solicitors with higher court advocacy rights, and have exercised full rights of audience for a minimum of 15 years (including prosecuting and/or defending in criminal cases). Applicants should be able to demonstrate first rate legal skills acquired through experience in a range of work including public law and appellate work. 

Appointment as Treasury Counsel is made by the Attorney General in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Treasury Counsel Committee. 

Successful advocates will be those who appear best qualified regardless of ethnic origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religion or disability. Women and members of ethnic minorities are encouraged to apply. 

On appointment it is expected that appointees will undergo developed vetting for security clearance purposes in order to be able to undertake the full range of work expected of Senior Treasury Counsel. 

Dear Applicant, 

Application to be Senior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court 

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 full-time 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, there are currently fifteen Treasury Counsel based at the Central Criminal Court; eight Senior and seven Junior Treasury Counsel. 

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. Senior Treasury Counsel are appointed for 3 years with the possibility of an extension. You do not have to have served as Junior Treasury Counsel but you will need to demonstrate your ability to take on, as a leader, the calibre of cases that are reserved for Treasury Counsel. 

Appointments as Senior Treasury Counsel are open to barristers or solicitors (with relevant Higher Court Advocacy qualifications) who have at least fifteen years’ experience of regular advocacy and who can demonstrate: 

i. experience of dealing, including as a leader, with a variety of large and complex cases (this need not be confined to criminal cases), with the capacity to manage competing and demanding deadlines and evidence of sound judgment, speed of thought and an ability to grasp a point and react quickly; 

ii. the ability to provide first class advice on legal, procedural and evidential issues in a timely manner; 

iii. strong advocacy skills, both written and oral; and 

iv. an understanding of the implications for the criminal justice system of a diverse society. 

The fifteen years’ advocacy experience need not be continuous. 

Desirable criteria would include: 

i. Experience of public law, appellate work and relevant EU and European Convention law; 

ii. Knowledge of the legal and practical issues that arise in cross-border investigations and prosecutions; 

iii. Excellence in written and oral advocacy demonstrating outstanding legal knowledge, and the capacity to specialise; and 

iv. experience of dealing with high-profile, sensitive cases, official secrets cases, cases of terrorism and those involving protectively-marked material. 

If you are interested in this high-profile and important role, please submit: 

i. the attached application form, which should include an outline of your experience, skills and expertise, 

in accordance with the criteria set out in the previous paragraph; and 

ii. a list of all the significant cases in which you have appeared in the last three years. If you have been involved in a long running case during that time your list of cases may extend to a five year period. Your list should include: 

a) a brief synopsis of the case, highlighting any unusual or particularly difficult/complex issues; 

b) the court; and 

c) the name and professional address of the Judge. 

A form for setting out these details is enclosed. You should add or delete rows as necessary 

iii. two specimens of work from the last 12 months (preferably one opinion and one skeleton argument), suitably anonymised, as evidence of your advisory and written advocacy ability. 

The completed application should be returned no later than 10am on Monday 11th March 2019 by secure email to [email protected] 

Applications will be short-listed and only short-listed candidates invited for interview. All interviews will take place in the early evening before Easter. Although every effort will be made to accommodate interviewees, it might not be possible to arrange interviews beyond this period. Interviews will be held at CPS Headquarters, 102 Petty France, London. 

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. 

Download Application Form

Application for Senior Treasury Counsel