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Solicitor to the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry
Location: Edinburgh
Job Ref: 2023-6218
Overview
Applications are invited to this position of Solicitor to Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry. Senior Civil Service Payband 1 (SCS1). Salary £81,893. This is a permanent post on standard Civil Service terms. It’s also open to applications from existing Civil Servants on promotion.
To be eligible to apply for this role you must be an advocate, barrister or solicitor admitted in Scotland.
On 24 August 2021, the First Minister announced a public Inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. The Inquiry is judge-led by the Chair. It is the largest Inquiry ever to take place in Scotland and will investigate issues that have affected the lives of everyone in Scotland. It will take place alongside the UK (United Kingdom) Covid-19 Inquiry, investigations into Covid deaths led by the Crown Office and other investigations by independent organisations such as Audit Scotland, creating a complex landscape which requires sensitivity and sound judgment to navigate. The post is high-profile, challenging and vitally important in identifying the lessons to be learned from the response to the pandemic.
Responsibilities
The Solicitor to the Inquiry will demonstrate strong leadership in a high-profile area to develop and deliver the Inquiry, to provide support and advice to the Chair, working closely with the Chief Executive.
The role of Solicitor will require resilience and robustness in order to work in a challenging, complex and time-pressured environment to ensure lawful actions by the Inquiry and to engage effectively with relevant stakeholders – including bereaved families and a range of public bodies – under intense media, legal and public scrutiny. The role will also require the successful candidate to form strong relationships with members of the UK Inquiry team, to ensure the two Inquiries work effectively alongside each other.
The successful candidate will lead the legal team and work closely with the Inquiry Chair, Chief Executive and the Inquiry Counsel on a wide range of legal and policy matters, and will provide advice and legal support across the range of Inquiry workstreams and functions, including providing legal resource and support where necessary to the Let’s Be Heard project. The candidate will closely work with and manage the Deputy Solicitors, providing support and guidance to them in the exercise of their functions as well as developing them.
The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference is attached COVID-19 Inquiry - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
16th June 2023
