Officer, Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform

Position description

We have an excellent opportunity for an Officer, Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform to join our Governance and Peace Directorate.

The Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform (“OCCJR”) sits within the Governance and Peace Directorate. The OCCJR Section works with member countries to enhance justice transformation. The courts across the Commonwealth are not devoid of the challenges.  Issues such as backlog of cases, mountains of case bundles excessive use of paper and non-user-friendly case management methods make navigating through cases a cumbersome and highly inefficient experience. The modernisation and digitisation of the justice system is rightly seen as an imperative to the Commonwealth’s future economic growth and social success. Only a working judiciary will operationalise the rule of law, prevent mass migrations and ultimately allow sustainable financial investment and growth.

Reporting to the Adviser, Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform, the OCCJR Officer will support the Legal transformation Sections’ work and programmes in promoting Commonwealth fundamental political values, consensus-building, and assist the section in its conceptualization and development of legal tools, law drafting, policy development and advisory assistance to countries on justice transformation, procedural law reform, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Commonwealth Secretariat Strategic Plan.

Responsibilities of the Officer OCCJR

The Officer OCCJR is expected, among other responsibilities, to:

• Research and develop an innovative approach to civil and criminal justice law reform, leveraging technology, networks, and partnerships, share the results with relevant section to collaboratively deliver legal tools and technical assistance for member countries.

• Assisting in Identifying salient human and technical aspects that jeopardise the process of justice across the Commonwealth justice systems and assist in template drafting legislation for possible enactment to support and guide court transformation processes that focus squarely on enhancing access to justice and harmonising law practice, with the collaboration of relevant stakeholders.

• Provide continuous support to member countries seeking technical assistance regarding their military justice legislation, fostering a cohesive and coordinated approach within the Commonwealth member countries.

• Participate in missions across the Commonwealth and meeting with relevant external stakeholders, as required.

• Assist in the conceptualising and developing initiatives/ projects that underpin the long-term objectives of the OCCJR.

Please refer to the Job Description for full details of the responsibilities for this position.

To be considered, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• A relevant degree, such as law, political science, international relations. A post graduate law degree or relevant qualification is desirable
• A minimum of six years’ experience in intergovernmental work with a focus on international relations and familiarity with the Caribbean region.
• Experience of negotiating and representing governments internationally, and/or working in an international organisation would be desirable.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 member governments and provides guidance on policymaking, technical assistance and advisory services to Commonwealth member countries.  We support governments to help achieve sustainable, inclusive and equitable development.

Application instructions

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