Cabinet Office

The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is a team within the Civil Service of around 50 lawyers and 10 support staff. Our main role is to draft Government Bills for introduction into Parliament and Government amendments to Bills as they go through Parliament on their way to becoming Acts.

Parliament can legislate about anything, so our work covers a wide variety of subjects and we do not specialise in any particular area of law. The Bills we draft can be hugely politically significant and topical, but may also be niche, specialised or technical. Because we may need to deal with legislation affecting any aspect of modern life, we recognise the importance of being a diverse organisation composed of excellent lawyers from a wide range of backgrounds.

We are committed to producing clear and effective legislation to the highest possible standards in the public interest.

Assistant Parliamentary Counsel (APCs) assist in all aspects of the Office’s work with a view to being able to take the lead on a Bill once they are promoted to the grade of Deputy Director.

The main tasks of an APC are:
• To assist in drafting Bills which are effective, clearly written and well-structured (by both drafting and reviewing the work of other drafters);
• To work with officials across Government to ensure that the process of Bill preparation, publication and Parliamentary handling is handled effectively and efficiently;
• To provide advice to Government departments on parliamentary procedure;
• To review, draft and advise on some subordinate legislation;
• To contribute to the training and development of other drafters, departmental lawyers, policy advisers and members of Bill teams (who coordinate work on a Bill);
• To contribute actively to the wider objectives of the Office (providing a high-quality drafting service, leading the legislative drafting profession within government, and promoting good law).

Location: London

Contract type: Permanent

Working patterns available: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time available.

Salary: £71,300, plus allowance rising to 25%. Existing Civil Servants will be appointed in line with the normal Civil Service pay rules.

More information about the Office can also be found on our website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-parliamentary-counsel.

Please see the Civil Service Jobs advert and the attached candidate information pack for further information about the role, the eligibility criteria and how to apply at: https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?jcode=1888452