Law Commission seeks two new Commissioners

The Law Commission is looking to recruit a Commissioner for Criminal Law and a Commissioner for Commercial and Common Law. Both roles will begin at the beginning of 2020.

Commissioners are critical to the success of projects that ensure British law is as fair, modern, simple and as cost-effective as possible. The successful applicants will lead law reform projects during a period of profound constitutional, social, economic and technological change.

The role

Current criminal projects are looking at online abuse and hate crime whilst commercial and common projects on right to manage and e-signatures.

Along with the Chair, the four Commissioners are collectively responsible for the Commission’s decisions and policy recommendations and for ensuring that all published work is of high quality and clearly expressed.

Whilst Commissioner’s don’t need expertise across every project, they need to be able to:

• Set the structure and parameters of the project, including involvement in drafting Terms of Reference
• Develop the main policy proposals
• Oversee the approach to research
• Lead stakeholder planning and the building of relationships
• Test concepts and arguments
• Write and supervise parts of the Consultation Paper, Report or other publications, where required

However, the role goes much further than the drafting of consultations and reports. A Commissioner can also expect to liaise Government ministers, other politicians and senior judiciary; host and lead roundtable discussions and events with the public; and take part in media interviews for TV, radio and newspapers especially for the launch of a report.

The candidate

In addition to their traditional skillset and expertise, we’re looking to appoint candidates who can react to new challenges arising from Brexit, as well as undertaking work focused on emerging technologies such as AI, bioethics and machine learning.

Flexibility, together with an ability to grapple with new and challenging areas of the law, will be key.

Essential criteria

Those considering becoming a Law Commissioner will need to demonstrate that they have:

• Excelled in their chosen field of law and commitment to the importance of delivering effective law reform.
• The ability to think creatively to resolve complex legal problems and to take reasoned decisions, including a keen interest in the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas to a diverse range of audiences, including members of the public.
• An open-minded approach with a willingness to think flexibly and consult widely before reaching firm conclusions.
• Awareness of the diverse needs and backgrounds of those affected by the work of the Commission and of colleagues and staff within the Commission, including a desire to learn about and engage with Whitehall,Parliament, Ministers and a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Effective leadership skills, both of people and the strategic direction of the organisation.

A full list of the required and desired skill set can be found in the link below.

If you’re interested in applying, you can find out more about the role and how to apply here.

The deadline for applications is 24 April.