The Principal Legal Officer provides high level professional advice and support to Magistrates Courts registry staff managing complex civil matters, particularly in the context of settlement conferences and enforcement processes.

Within the Brisbane Magistrates Court, the role on occasion presides as Registrar in enforcement hearings along with conducting settlement conferences for commercial and wage recovery disputes.

Job details

In your role as Principal Legal Officer, you will provide high level professional advice and support to Magistrates Courts registry staff managing complex civil matters, particularly in the context of settlement conferences and enforcement processes. Within the Brisbane Magistrates Court, the role on occasion presides as Registrar in enforcement hearings along with conducting settlement conferences for commercial and wage recovery disputes.

You will:

• Good working-knowledge of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999, Magistrates Courts Act 1921, Civil Proceedings Act 2011, Justices Act 1886 and the Industrial Relations (Tribunals) Rules 2011 (or ability to rapidly acquire the same), as well as associated legislation, policy, practices and procedures, to respond to queries from staff and clients/stakeholders.
• Provide authoritative legal and procedural advice (both written and oral) in relation to complex civil enquiries, civil procedure, legal interpretation of legislation and queries from staff and clients/stakeholders, to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of services.
• Liaise and build relationships with internal stakeholders to ensure consistency of practice.
• Provide high level legal research and analysis, review, and evaluation in relation to legal, policy and process issues regarding the operations of registries.
• Lead the Civil Practice and Support pilot which focuses on centralising specialist civil knowledge, supporting Magistrates Courts registries to manage complex civil matters and identifying best practice. You will be required to play a key role in the evaluation of our current approaches and in the shaping and implementation of recommendations for future service delivery.
• Lead a community of practice, to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of quality civil, mediation and conciliation services.
• Respond to requests for advice from the judiciary and liaise directly on complex matters and referrals.
• Preside as a Registrar in enforcement hearings, as required.
• Conduct settlement conferences (as mediator) for commercial and wage recovery disputes in the Brisbane Magistrates Court, as required.
• Provide professional oversight of settlement conferences, including professional development of trained Nationally Accredited Mediators and contributions to debrief meetings, to provide high quality mediation and conciliation services to court users.

Qualifications:

• Admission or eligibility for immediate admission as a Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of Queensland.
• Accreditation under the National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS) or eligibility to learn mediation and be assessed for National Mediator Accreditation.
• Commitment to maintaining professional accreditations through required Compulsory Professional Development (CPD).

Applications to remain current for 12 months.

Further information

We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.

Please ensure you download all attachments and follow the instructions on how to apply.

Documents

Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.

• 675207 26 - Role Description (Word, 382KB)
  
  
  675207 26 - Applicant-Information-Package (Word, 359KB)