Judicial Assistant

1. THE ROLE

1.1 Role

The role of a judicial assistant is to provide assistance to a judge in the carrying out of their judicial function. This includes providing assistance with court going activities, administrative and general support.

Judicial Assistants support judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Circuit Court. This application is for the Judicial Assistants to the Circuit Court operating in Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim and Letterkenny.

A key duty for this role is drive the judge between locations on this circuit and requires a considerable amount of travel. Therefore, a full driver’s licence and willingness to travel is essential.

Please note, you may be required to provide assistance to the other jurisdictions, if and when required.

Circuit Court

The Circuit Court is a court of limited and local jurisdiction. The work can be divided into four main areas: civil, criminal, family law and jury service. The Circuit Court sits in venues in each circuit, the country is divided into eight circuits.

The Circuit Court consists of the President, forty-five ordinary judges. The President of the District Court is, by virtue of their office, an additional judge of the Circuit Court.

Judicial assistants assigned to the Circuit Court get a unique exposure to a broad range of legal areas. This exposure gives judicial assistants a comprehensive understanding of various legal issues, analytical and research skills across different areas of law such as civil, criminal, family, personal insolvency and legal applications under the Assisted Decision Making Capacity Act, 2015.

In the Circuit Court judicial assistants will have the opportunity to travel to different locations with their assigned judge. This not only adds variety to the work environment but also gives an insight into the dynamics of the regional circuits and regional court houses. On occasion it may be necessary for judicial assistants to drive the judge between locations.

When working in the different circuits there is an opportunity to build valuable connections within the legal community. This networking can be beneficial for career advancement, fostering mentorship, and for insights into various legal career paths.

The key duties of the role vary and may include the following:

2. Key Responsibilities

Court Responsibilities

·         Research matters of law which arise in the conduct of proceedings before the court and furnish a written or oral report without delay to the judge.

·         Summarise facts, legal submissions, case law and relevant material as directed by the judge for inclusion in draft judgments.

·         Assist in research for draft judgments and/or legal queries on behalf of the judge.

·         Assist the judge with document proof reading.

·         Accompany the judge to court and remain in court during hearings to note evidence and submissions as directed.

·         Set up the bench according to the requirement and expectation of the judge.

·         Assist with the management of the judge’s official documentation (books and papers) required for court.

·         Advise judge in advance of lists for the following week and ensure arrangements are in place for same.

·         Ensure the judge has the information required in relation to cases to include names of parties, type of case, duration of case, legal representatives and so forth.

·         Cooperate with the Court Registrar and/or other relevant Courts Service staff to support the efficient running of the court.

·         Act as liaison between the judge and the parties to litigation (if required) and ensure parties to a case and their representatives are aware of when their case will be heard and are in the right location at the right time.

·         Assist the court in compliance with the in camera rule in relevant cases and as directed by the judge.

·         Assist the Research Support Office in the preparation of bench books by submitting required information on a timely basis and in compliance with protocols for same.

Administration

·         Manage the chambers of the judge as required.

·         Keep the judge’s diary of court and other appointments.

·         General administrative support duties.

·         Other duties as required by the judge.

General

·         Drive the judge between locations within the circuit the judge sits.

·         Assist the judge in the course of official duties.

·         Accompany the judge as required. This may involve travelling to any location in Ireland from time to time and requires the judicial assistant to remain in the location during the period of that assignment.

·         Be available to the judge at all times during office hours Monday to Friday to perform whatever duties directed by the judge.

·         Be available for official duties, if required, during the evening or at weekends. This role may require overnight stays.

·         Where a judicial assistant is not required to perform duties for the judge to whom they are assigned, the Courts Service will assign other duties as appropriate.

·         Judicial Assistants are entitled to 22 days leave per year which are required to be taken during court vacation.

·         Successful candidates will be assigned to judges by the Courts Service in consultation with the Presidents of the jurisdiction or will be assigned to provide support to members of the judiciary in all jurisdictions.

Note, the above is intended as a guide and is neither definitive nor restrictive.

3. Essential Requirements:

·         Hold (or expect to hold) at least a 2.1 in a law degree at a minimum of

level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications in their final year exams or the Diploma in Law from the Honorable Society of King’s Inns;

·         A good understanding of the work of the Irish courts system; and

·         A knowledge of modern legal research methods and materials; and

·         Experience conducting legal research (this can include academic research or research in the course of court case preparation).

·         A full driver licence

The following qualifications are desirable;

·         A 1:1 in a law degree at a minimum of level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications in their final year exams or the Diploma in Law from the Honorable Society of King’s Inns

·         A professional legal qualification or post graduate qualification in law

Candidates should indicate fluency in Irish and in particular an ability to read and

understand legal materials in the Irish language.

4. APPLICATION PROCESS

Application should be made by logging into the advertisement link.

The closing date is the 7th October 2023

Candidates who do not hold or do not demonstrate the skills and experience will not be called for interview.

The admission of a person to a competition, or invitation to attend an interview, is not to be taken as implying the Courts Service is satisfied such a person fulfils the requirements of the competition or is not disqualified by law from holding the position and does not carry a guarantee that your application will receive further consideration. It is important, therefore, for candidates to note that the onus is on them to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements for the competition before attending for interview. If a candidate does not meet these essential entry requirements but nevertheless attends for interview, that candidate will be putting him or herself to unnecessary expense.

It is important to note the onus is on applicants to ensure the eligibility requirements for the competition are met before attending for interview.

The Courts Service accepts no responsibility for communication not accessed or received by an applicant.

5. Selection Method

The Selection Process will involve:

·                 Shortlisting of candidates, on the basis of the information contained in their application form,

·                 A selection exercise (test) undertaken in a remote exam setting,

·                 A competitive interview

Please note interviews may be conducted remotely via video interview.

Shortlisting

The Courts Service will short list to select a group for exam and possible interview who, based on an examination of the application form, appear to be the most suitable for the position.

Those that demonstrate evidence at the required level will be called forward to interview.

Skills and competencies

Candidates should demonstrate that they have the ability to carry out successfully the duties of the role, as well as the general skills and competencies namely:

Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development

·         Demonstrate an understanding of the Irish legal system.

·         Understand how their role fits into the work of the judge and the Courts Service.

·         Demonstrate extensive knowledge of Irish law, the Irish Legal System including EU Law and, ideally, knowledge of the ECHR system.

Delivery of Results

·         Assumes personal responsibility for and delivers on agreed objectives.

·         Manages and progresses multiple projects and work activities successfully.

·         Manages own time efficiently, anticipates obstacles and makes contingencies for overcoming these.

·         Ensures all outputs are delivered to a high standard and in an efficient manner.

·         Uses resources effectively and improves efficiencies where possible.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

·         Communicates in a fluent, logical, clear and convincing manner verbally and in writing.

·         Listens effectively

·         Develops a two-way dialogue quickly.

·         Maintains strong focus on meeting the needs of internal and external customers.

·         Influences others to take action.

·         Works to establish mutual understanding to facilitate collaborative working.

Analysis and Decision Making

·         Effectively deals with a wide range of information sources.

·         Investigates all relevant issues.

·         Quickly gets up to speed with complex situations.

·         Rapidly absorbs information both written and oral.

·         Identifies key themes and patterns in and across different sources of information, drawing sound and balanced conclusions.

·         Sees the logical implications of taking a particular position on an issue.

Drive and Commitment to Public Service Values

·         Consistently strives to perform at a high level and deliver a quality service.

·         Is personally trustworthy and can be relied upon.

·         Upholds the highest standards of honesty, ethics and integrity.

·         Demonstrates high levels of initiative.

·         Takes ownership for projects.

·         Demonstrates flexibility and resilience.

Candidates with Disabilities

The Courts Service has a key role to play in attracting candidates from all sectors of society, ensuring that routes to career opportunities are accessible to all who are interested. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all candidates. If you have a disability or need reasonable accommodation made during the selection process, we strongly encourage you to share this with us so that we can ensure you get the support you need.

Reasonable accommodation in our selection process refers to adjustments and practical changes which would enable a disabled candidate to have an equal opportunity for this competition. Examples of adjustments we provide include the use of assistive technology, extra time, scribes and/or readers or a range of other accommodations.

Please be assured that having a disability or requiring adjustments will not impact on your progress in the selection process; you will not be at a disadvantage if you disclose your disability or requirements to us. Your disability and/or adjustments will be kept entirely confidential.

6. EXAm & Interview

Following the shortlisting process successful candidates will be asked to complete a remote exam.

There will be two parts to the exam. Part one of the exam is worth 30 marks. Park two of the exam is worth 70 marks. You must receive a combined mark of 50 or more to be considered for the next stage in the process.

Following the exam, successful candidates will be called forward for interview.

Interviews will be structured in format, with candidates asked to provide examples of the competencies for the role as outlined in Section 5of this document.

The competencies will be thoroughly and systematically explored at interview to assess suitability for the role.

The board may ask about the experience described on the application form under each competency or they may ask for other examples.

It is anticipated the interview will last 45 minutes.

To be considered for the panel you must receive a score of 50% or more in each competency.

Panel Formation

Following the interview process a panel will be formed for the purpose of filling Judicial Assistant positions.

Candidates will be ranked in order of merit based on performance at interview.

This panel will remain in place until 31 July 2025 from the date of formation of the panel or until the exhaustion of the panel whichever is the earlier.

Candidates who have not been offered a position at the expiry of the panel will have no claim to any further positions thereafter because of having been on the panel.

Commencement date

The commencement date for appointments to be agreed.

Confidentiality

Candidates can expect that all enquiries, applications and all aspects of the proceedings to the extent that they are managed by the Courts Service are treated as strictly confidential subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014. However, candidates should note that all application material may be made available to the interview board. Certain items of information, not specific to any individual, are extracted from computer records for general statistical purposes.

Garda Vetting

Garda vetting will be sought in respect of individuals who come under consideration for appointment. The applicant will be required to complete and return a Garda Vetting form should they come under consideration for appointment.

This form will be forwarded to An Garda Siochána for security checks on all Irish and Northern Irish addresses at which they resided. Enquiries may also be made with the police force of any country in which the applicant under consideration for appointment resided. If the applicant subsequently comes under consideration for another position, they will be required to supply this information again.

Other important information

The Courts Service will not be responsible for refunding any expenses incurred by candidates.

Prior to recommending any candidate for appointment to this position the Courts Service will make all such enquiries that are deemed necessary to determine the suitability of that candidate. Until all stages of the recruitment process have been fully completed a final determination cannot be made nor can it be deemed or inferred that such a determination has been made.

Should the person recommended for appointment decline, or having accepted it, relinquish it, or if an additional vacancy arises the Courts Service may, at its discretion, select and recommend another person for appointment on the results of this selection process.

Review and Complaint Procedures under the Code of Practice for Appointments to Positions in the Civil and Public Service

If a candidate is unhappy following the outcome of any stage of a selection process, they can either:

1.     Request a Review of a decision made during the process Or

2.     Make a Complaint that the selection process followed was unfair

A candidate can follow either one of the two procedures in relation to the same aspect of a selection process, but not both. Where a review of a selection process has taken place under Section 7 (as detailed below), a complainant may not seek a further review of the same process under Section 8, other than in the most exceptional circumstances that will be determined by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) at its sole discretion.

There is no obligation on the Courts Service to suspend an appointment process while a Review or Complaint is being considered. However, the CPSA expects that, where possible, the Courts Service will intervene in cases where it finds an error is likely to have occurred.

Salary

The salary scale for the position is €34,462 per annum. The salary will increase to €37,428 in the third and final year of the contract.

New entrants to the Civil Service will be appointed to the first point of the (PPC) salary scale.

The PPC pay rate applies when the individual is required to pay a Personal Pension Contribution (otherwise known as a main scheme contribution) in accordance with the rules of their main/personal superannuation scheme. This is different to a contribution in respect of membership of a Spouses’ and Children’s scheme, or the Additional Superannuation Contributions (ASC). A different rate will apply where the appointee is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution.

Salary is payable weekly in arrears by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) into a bank account of the appointees’ choice. Payment cannot be made until an appointee supplies a bank account number and bank sort code to the Human Resources Unit of the Courts Service. Statutory deductions will be made from salary as appropriate by the Courts Service.

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