Assistant Coroner Croydon, England
Job description
Assistant Coroner for South London
Salary – fee paid, £503 per day in line with the JNC Coroners Circular 68
Part-Time - Minimum 20 days per annum
Croydon Council is seeking to appoint new Assistant Coroners to support the Senior Coroner across the full range of coroner duties to deliver a high-quality coroner service to the people of the South London jurisdiction which covers the boroughs of Croydon, Bromley, Bexley and Sutton.
The roles will be based in the South London dedicated courts and offices at Davis House, Croydon. Court opening hours are 8am to 4pm, but court may run to 4.30pm and sometimes later.
The area has a backlog of cases, and the successful candidates will support the senior coroner to clear them as well as progressing new cases.
About the post:
We are looking for exceptional candidates with excellent proven organisational, management and efficiency skills, as well as experience of exercising sound judgement and communicating effectively. You will work closely with the Senior Coroner to ensure value for money, performance and financial efficiencies.
You will be required to demonstrate knowledge and experience of coroner law and of basic medicine, have proven skills in conducting investigations and an understanding of court procedure. You will also need to demonstrate the excellent communication and interpersonal skills necessary to deal with sensitive situations.
The successful candidates will be required to carry out the duties and responsibilities of a coroner as defined in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and associated rules and regulations and as further described in various guidance issued by the Chief Coroner.
These are fee paid positions although they are likely to involve a regular commitment, which is to be agreed between the assistant coroner, senior coroner and the local authority. You will be expected on occasion to be available to assist on an out of hours rota system.
It is a Coroner’s personal responsibility (and not that of his/her clerk/secretary) to ensure that they sit when possible. The Chief Coroner and the Lord Chancellor would expect an assistant coroner to offer a minimum of 20 sitting days each financial year. However, it is recognised that there is a variance of workload in each area.
Who can apply:
The successful candidates will be a barrister or a solicitor or Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives and satisfy the judicial-appointment eligibility condition which means they will have 5 years of experience whilst holding that qualification. They will be under the age of 75 and be subject to the appointment and eligibility conditions within the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (s.23 and Schedule 3).
Statutory terms of the appointment:
Once a Coroner is appointed they are then a Judicial Office holder until they reach the age of 75 years (compulsory retirement age) unless they choose to resign or are removed by the Lord Chief Justice or Lord Chancellor prior to their 75th birthday.
How to apply:
If you wish to have an informal discussion, please contact Stephen Rowan, Head of Coroner’s Service via [email protected].
Suitably qualified applicants are requested to email their CV and supporting statement to [email protected]
(Please do not use the application form on this website).
Notification
The vacancy for this post has been notified to the Chief Coroner and Lord Chancellor (as required by statute).
Closing date: 10 September 2023
Equal opportunities
Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.
Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.
