Navy Legal is part of the Navy Command Headquarters (NCHQ) and reports to the Second Sea Lord (2SL) through the Director People and Training (Dir P&T). The function of the NCHQ is to deliver operational success, run Navy business efficiently, and to generate future capabilities in a sustainable form.  The NCHQ operates to support the annual Navy Command Plan mission, and the Objectives contained in the Maritime Strategy 2035.

Within this overall context, the purpose of Navy Legal is to provide advice which is accurate, timely, insightful, and focussed on achieving the Command aim.  The principal objectives for Navy Legal are:

• To force generate operationally deployable lawyers who provide commanders with high quality contemporaneous legal advice;
• To force generate and have professional oversight of lawyers in single Service and Joint Units;
• To provide legal advice on all aspects of Naval business including but not limited to: operations, discipline and administrative management of Service personnel and records, Health and Safety / Duty Holding and Risk Management.
• To provide legal advice on policy development on all aspects of Naval business and to develop understanding of and influence legal freedoms and options.
• To contribute to international defence engagement, in particular through delivering international law training in support of a rules-based international order;
• To contribute to the proper direction, accountability and governance of Defence as a Department of State by:
  • managing employment and administrative law litigation against the Navy;
  • providing legal advice on the conduct of Service Inquiries, PQs and other Ministerial business; and,
  • Considering statutory applications regarding reserves’ call-out and financial assistance.

PURPOSES

Primary Purpose

To provide legal advice to the Naval Service, as directed by SO1 Employment Law on employment and administrative law matters.

Secondary Purposes

• To be the Navy Legal lead, referring to SO1 Employment law as required for the provision and delivery of legal training relating to employment and administrative law matters by naval lawyers to legal and non-legal audiences and other training validated by Hd Nany Legal but delivered by non-lawyers.
• To action any other emergent or ad hoc business in support of Hd NLS, NCHQ and MOD as directed and required.
• To undertake individual tasking as required by SO1 Employment.

 SUPERIORS

The Employment Law SO2 is accountable to Employment Law SO1.

AUTHORITY

 Navy Legal Empl Law SO2 is authorised to:

• Sign correspondence and administrative orders on matters within their purposes;
• Deputise for NLS SO1s on legal matters as directed;
• To represent Navy Legal on behalf of NCHQ in relation to legal issues within or connected to these Terms of Reference, and as directed;
• To liaise with MoD CLS, Army and RAF Legal services, legal services of OGDs, Treasury counsel and treasury solicitor and non-UK Naval legal Advisors as required.

TASKS

• To provide advice to RN principals and NCHQ on the legal and policy matters concerning the Service of Regular and Reserve Naval personnel and provide direction and guidance to Navy Legal Regional Legal Advisers in relation to employment and administrative actions as delegated by SO1 Employment.
• To maintain and review as required, but at least annually, the delegations in place for approving administrative actions.
• To support the DDPS Employment team in the development of policy including by ensuring that policy amendments are reflected in BR updates and to be the primary point of contact for legal review of BR3 content.
• Have responsibility for ensuring that all administrative law/employment law training delivered by Navy Legal lawyers is reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect any legal/procedural developments.
• To engage with the Navy Legal training review as required. To design and deliver employment and administrative law elements of the annual Navy Legal Advisory course; deliver elements of the Navy Legal central training programme, including Termly updates and any annual legal conference.
• To deputise if necessary for SO1 Employmenty, to undertake the role of member of, and legal adviser, to the Naval Service Medical Employability Board (NSMEB);
• To act as the legal adviser to the Navy Vetting Appeal Panel.
• To act as the legal adviser to Service Inquiries as nominated.
• To be a member of the termly quad-Service Employment Lawyers’ Quadlateral forum;
• To be prepared to deploy as Legal Adviser on naval operations or exercises as directed by Hd NLS;
• To act as Defence Counsel for accused persons in Court Martial proceedings as available.
• To act as NLS Duty SO2 lawyer as rostered; and
• To assume temporary or additional responsibilities as directed.

Must be an OF3 of BARRISTER specialisation. 

OF4 applicants, if successful, will only be paid as and normally wear the rank of OF3.

Must be serving as a member of the Reserve Forces or have served with the Regular Forces.

Applicants will undergo an initial eligibility sift. Successful applicants will have their details forwarded to the Post Sponsor to arrange interviews. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised accordingly.

Following interviews; the successful applicant will be informed that they are the Preferred Candidate with details being sent to the CM RES FTRS Cell who will continue the recruitment process. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised accordingly.

Once the recruitment process is complete then the Preferred Candidate will be invited to take up FTRS.

The start date is the anticipated one however, applicants should be aware a number of factors will potentially impact on this including the completion of pre-employment checks, medical category confirmation and the award of a Security Clearance. The start date could therefore be adjusted as appropriate – earlier for a fully qualified person with their and the employers agreement, or later if approvals cannot be immediately completed.

INITIAL COMMITMENT LENGTH WILL NORMALLY BE 24 MONTHS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO EXTEND

The start date will be ASAP

Eligibility for FTRS/ADC

Any member of the Maritime Part Time Volunteer Reserves (RNR, RMR) or the Royal Fleet Reserves (RFR) (Ex-Regular Reserve) may volunteer to undertake a period of FTRS/ADC. Ex-Regular personnel whose RFR liability has run out will be re-instated in the RFR to take up FTRS/ADC.

Applicants undertaking a period of FTRS/ADC must be suitably qualified by rank/rate, specialisation, qualifications and experience to fill the posts for which they apply.

Applications will be accepted from reservists who hold a rank/rate one or more above the advertised rank/rate or hold a rank/rate one below the advertised rank/rate.  

• Applicants one rate below may be interviewed at the discretion of the FTRS Cell/Line Manager and may be employed in the acting higher rate (excluding the advertised rate of WO2 or WO1) if they are suitable, qualified, meet current promotion regulations in all respects and are selected to do so. Otherwise, they will be given the opportunity to carry out the role in their substantive rank/rate; the payment of Substitution Pay (SUPA) may be considered by the employer.
• Applicants of a higher rank/rate prepared to serve in a position at a lower rank/rate than their current or former substantive rank will wear uniform, and be paid, at the Upper Rank/Rate’ level appropriate to that of the position on JPA. Exceptions will not normally be considered.

Ex-Regular Reserves of an equivalent rank from the Army or Royal Air Force are required to join the Maritime Reserves (RNR/RMR) before being eligible to apply.

Medical/Dental

Applicants must also be medically fit, and meet the minimum medical category required for the level of commitment, to fulfil the duties which their Commitment will require them to undertake.

• A medical form to confirm MedCat and suitability to be employed is required to be returned within 2 weeks of commencing the role, or the commitment may be revoked.

Personnel who have been discharged via the RN Medical Board of Survey (MOBS) or the RN Medical Employability Board (MEB), do not have a RFR liability and are therefore unable to be considered for any FTRS/ADC/VERR role.

Only personnel on FTRS(FC) commitments will be entitled to the full range of Service Medical and Dental support. Those on lower levels will be entitled to emergency medical support whilst on duty.

Pension Issues. 

Personnel who qualify for a service pension should take financial advice from Defence Business Services (DBS) Reserves/Re-employment Pensions Department on the effect that undertaking FTRS service has on their pension, EDP, Resettlement Grant or Terminal Benefits.

Additional guidance can also be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans. Of particular note is reference to the ‘Effect of Re-employment’ on Commutation and, for those leaving on a ‘preserved’ pension, the Resettlement Grant. Other organisations such as the Armed Forces Pension Society or the White Ensign Association may also be able to offer advice, but it is stressed that only DBS can provide an authoritative answer.

Transition between TCoS. 

Personnel taking this appointment from other TCoS should consider the impact on any accrued entitlements, such as leave, resettlement etc and should seek specialist guidance where required as certain entitlements are TCoS specific and may not be retained or transferred on transition between TCoS. 

Naval Core Training (NCT), Individual Training Requirement (IRT) and Defence Mandated Training (DMT)

 Personnel on FTRS commitments are required to maintain currency in NCT, IRT and MDT in alignment with the rest of the RN/RM. The successful applicant will be expected to complete all modules and have them recorded on JPA within 2 months of commencing employment. This is an employer’s responsibility to monitor. 

• RNFT

Personnel on FTRS Limited/Home/ADC/VERRs commitments are exempt the RNFT, unless they are a member of the RNR/RMR who should remain in date.

 Annual Salary and Leave. 

Pay will be in accordance with the pay scales published for the Armed Forces annually, and as governed by JSP 754.  Leave entitlement is detailed in JSP 760. Note, you are not able to carry forward leave from a Regular commission/engagement when commencing an FTRS Commitment or from one FTRS Commitment role to another FTRS Commitment role.

Allowances.

Entitlement to allowances is in accordance with JSP 754 however the following should be noted:

Get you Home (Travel)                  Only paid to qualifying personnel on FTRS(FC)

Home Duty Travel                          Only paid to qualifying personnel on FTRS(FC)

Accommodation.

Personnel serving on FTRS(FC) TCoS are entitled to Single Living Accommodation (SLA) and Service Families Accommodation (SFA) as per Regular entitlements. 

Personnel serving on FTRS(LC/HC)/ADC TCoS are only eligible to occupy surplus Single Living Accommodation (SLA), at non-entitled rates.

Personnel serving on VeRR TCoS are not entitled to service accommodation.

Applications for this job are to be submitted via SERVE please click the APPLY button below.