Case Review Managers - Criminal Cases Review Commission

Case Review Manager  
Starting Salary: £36,267pa (Scale £36,267-£42,082 under review), based on a full-time, 37-hour week. Part-time is available subject to a minimum of 18 hrs per week. 
Home-based, with some travel and occasional attendance at our Birmingham office  

Sometimes things go wrong. At the CCRC, we help to put them right. 

From time to time, a criminal case ends with a wrongful conviction or sentence – there might not have been a crime at all, the wrong person might have been convicted, or the process might have failed so significantly that the conviction is unsafe. 

• Can you find the crucial new evidence or argument that changes things and enables us to send a case back for an appeal? 

• Can you manage a demanding portfolio of complex criminal cases and bring a positive, resourceful approach?    

If the answer is yes, then this could be the start of an incredibly rewarding career – the work you do with us can transform lives and ensure justice is finally done.  

You don’t have to be a lawyer to make an impact in law. 

About the role  

We’re looking for a number of people to join us as Case Review Managers on a permanent basis (although we can also consider secondments and loans). The role is intellectually challenging. Case Review Managers need to be analytical, articulate, resilient and proactive.  You must be able to juggle competing priorities, planning your work to ensure each case is investigated properly and takes no longer than reasonably necessary to reach a reliable conclusion.  

You’ll plan and lead the thorough and timely analysis, investigation and review of criminal convictions and sentences, most of which relate to serious offences prosecuted on indictment in the Crown Courts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You’ll have the opportunity to examine material from the police, the prosecution, the courts and the defence, as well as records from prisons, the NHS and local authorities. Sometimes, your role will involve interviewing applicants and witnesses, or instructing experts in a range of forensic and scientific disciplines. At other times, you’ll be dealing with emerging developments in criminal law. 

At the end of the review, you’ll draft an objective, evidence-based and well-reasoned recommendation whether to refer the case to an appeal court. Although you’ll often carry out detailed analyses of evidence factoring in relevant legal principles, you don’t need to be a lawyer to succeed in this role. What matters is that you can apply the relevant legal tests to the evidence.  

About you 

You should have comprehensive experience of leading complex legal or investigative casework, managing multiple lines of enquiry and different cases with competing deadlines and conflicting priorities. Strong analytical and reasoning skills are essential, and you’ll bring experience of researching and analysing complex legal, factual and evidential issues and data. Specifically, you’ll be adept at quickly identifying critical issues, assessing where there is insufficient information and taking appropriate action.  

Excellent oral and written communication skills are also important as your role will involve communicating effectively with applicants, legal representatives, members of the public and senior figures in the criminal justice system. Finally, we’ll want to see some flexibility as there will be a need for you to travel for casework investigations and other business-related purposes, potentially with the need for some overnight stays. 

About the Criminal Cases Review Commission 

We are the independent public body that investigates potential miscarriages of justice.  It’s down to us to tackle complex issues across a broad range of criminal cases. We’ve dealt with some of the most serious miscarriages of justice of the last 50 years. This is your opportunity to play a part in this essential, often life-changing work.  

At the Criminal Cases Review Commission, we work in the interests of justice and we are wholly independent. We don’t represent the police, prosecution, court or government. We don’t represent the person applying for a review of their case. Staying independent helps us investigate alleged miscarriages of justice objectively and impartially. 

We have unique statutory powers that allow us to obtain any material in the possession or control of a public body, including sensitive material like medical or intelligence records. Not only that, but we’re empowered to form a complete picture of a case from start to finish, and we’re the only people who can send a case back to court for a second or subsequent appeal. 

Benefits  

We offer a wide range of benefits, including remote and flexible working options (you can vary your working day as long as you complete 37 hours each work). You can also look forward to: 

• A Civil Service pension – this will see us making a significant contribution to your pension fund 
• 29 days’ annual leave allowance, in addition to eight statutory bank and public holidays 
• Reimbursement for any travel, subsistence and overnight expenses  
• Flexitime
• Trained Mental Health First Aiders
• Three paid days for volunteering activities each year
• Occupational Health Services and an Employee Assistance Programme
• Free eye tests and a contribution towards lenses or spectacles for VDU users 

To find out more and apply, please visit www.ccrc-casereviewmanagers.co.uk

Diversity & Inclusion  

We are committed to being an inclusive organisation and support diversity in the Criminal Justice System. We welcome people who will bring diversity of thought and provide constructive challenge.  We encourage applications from black, Asian and ethnic minority candidates and from individuals from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.  The CCRC is a Disability Confident Committed employer.