The Advocate General is seeking to appoint new members to the panel of Northern Ireland (NI) Special Advocates. This campaign is specifically aimed at junior barristers and Solicitor Advocates who are called to the Bar or are on the Roll in NI, who have at least five years’ advocacy experience. Experience representing either plaintiffs or defendants in judicial review matters is essential. Applications from barristers who have taken silk will not be accepted.
As a Special Advocate, you will be carrying out a constitutionally critical role by representing the interests of the excluded party in Closed Material Proceedings (CMP) and subjecting closed material, withheld on the basis of national security concerns, to independent scrutiny.
You will be working alongside lawyers in the Special Advocates’ Support Office (SASO) who will be based in new premises in NI. You will have the opportunity to appear in a variety of courts and tribunals, working on ‘legacy’ litigation, Security Vetting Appeal Panel cases, as well as criminal and family matters on occasion.
Applicants must be willing to undergo and obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance.
To obtain details about the application process, please refer to the information for candidates form and the FAQ sheet. You can request a copy of this documentation along with the application form by emailing [email protected].
We will be holding an online information session with the Advocate General, SASO and a Special Advocate currently on the NI panel on Tuesday 14 April at 5.30pm to share more detail about the application process and role. If you would like to attend this event, please contact the above email address to express interest and receive joining instructions.