Description Job Description Do you want to use your legal skills to support the important work of a public inquiry in Scotland? In September 2023 the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Social Care and NHS recovery announced that a public inquiry would be held into the actions of former neurosurgeon Mr Eljamel and NHS Tayside. The Inquiry will consider the appointment and subsequent suspension of Mr Sam Eljamel, the governance by NHS Tayside, previous and current reviews and any other evidence or reports the Chair deems appropriate. On 29 February 2024 a statement was made to Parliament announcing the Chair of the Public Inquiry – the Honourable Lord Weir. The Inquiry has vacancies for assistant solicitors to join the legal team which currently consists of the Solicitor to the Inquiry, Deputy Solicitor and one Assistant Solicitor together with senior and junior counsel. The Inquiry is at an early stage and as such successful candidates will have an opportunity to play an important role in the initial stages of the investigation. You will play important roles, working as part of the Inquiry legal team to identify witnesses as well as ingather and investigate the evidence. You will work closely with all members of the Inquiry team and will be line managed by the Deputy Solicitor. This role requires: excellent attention to detail as there will be high volumes of documentation requiring rigorous legal analysis; strong interpersonal skills as you will be working closely with all members of the Inquiry as well as external stakeholders; and flexibility and adaptability, as working in a small team you need to be willing to turn your hand to all tasks. Time in Post This a 47 month FTA post. Responsibilities Identifying and recovering evidence, including engagement with external stakeholders. Reviewing and analysing any recovered evidence, assessing its relevance to the Terms of Reference and producing summaries and thematic reports on the evidence for use by counsel. Using recovered evidence to identify further lines of inquiry and witnesses as well contribute to the Inquiry’s list of issues. Responsibile for redaction and disclosure of evidence in line with Inquiry policies and protocols. Instructing, liaising and working collaboratively with Counsel on a regular basis. Providing legal advice to the Chair when required. Liaison with the solicitors representing the core participants and assisting the facilitation of witness statements from their clients. Assisting counsel with the identification of expert witnesses and their instruction where appropriate. Drafting of, and ensuring compliance with, the Inquiry’s procedure/protocol documents. GDPR compliance. Provision of practical and legal assistance to the Chair and Counsel during hearing sessions as well as producing summaries of evidence following on from oral hearing sessions. Responsibilities Qualifications You must be a solicitor or advocate entitled to practice in Scotland or England and Wales. Success Profile Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Technical / Professional Skills: Strong legal skills applicable or transferable to public law in Scotland. Ability to conduct sound legal analysis taking account of multiple sources of information and data You can find out more about the skills required here: Success Profiles: Technical - GOV.UK Experience: The candidate must have experience of public inquiry work and/or experience of medical negligence. Behaviours: Making Effective Decisions – Level 4 Working Together – level 4 Delivering at Pace – Level 4 Communicating and influencing – Level 4 You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and PowerPoint presentation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 5th May 2025 however this may be subject to change. Qualifications About Us The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland. We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer. As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Working Pattern Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us. The posts are based in central Edinburgh, although a degree of hybrid working can be facilitated. Immediately before, and during the hearings for the Inquiry, opportunity for leave may be limited, you may be required to work longer than your contracted hours and to work from the office. Equality Statement We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. Further information Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.