Joint Legal Services provide a comprehensive in-house legal service to West Midlands and Staffordshire Police, including their associated Police and Crime Commissioners.
Departments
The Department consists of qualified lawyers and supporting staff with a passion and knowledge of police law, divided into the following teams that focus on specific areas of practice:
Operational
We advise clients on the use of police powers and make a variety of applications before the court, including Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Gang Injunctions, Football Banning Orders and Forced Marriage Protection Orders.
Civil Litigation
We act on behalf of the force(s) in civil claims against the police by members of the public.
Employment
We act for the force(s) in employment claims brought by police officers and staff.
Contracts/Commercial
We advise and assist internal clients in a wide range of commercial matters, ranging from procurement to collaboration agreements.
Misconduct/Inquests and Public Order
We advise internal clients on issues arising from complaints against the police and breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour. We also advise and represent force(s) during Coroner’s Inquests and provide legal advice in the policing of protests.
Inquiries and Investigations
We act for clients in high profile public inquires including the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
Business Support
Supporting the Department in practice management and administration.
Insurance Services
A small team ensuring appropriate insurance provision and arrangements for West Midlands Police.
Hear from the team
Here are some quotes from the team:
I am an in-house Senior Lawyer within the Joint Legal Services department (JLS). I am a qualified solicitor with over 15 years’ experience in Civil Litigation. I co-ordinate the Civil Litigation Team made up of a mixture of qualified and none qualified lawyers. The purpose of my role is to defend the Chief Constable of West Midlands and Staffordshire Police as part of the collaborative agreement. Alongside my daily management responsibilities I also carry a caseload of mixed complexities. My practice areas include employers liability (EL) where the force faces claims involving a particularly complex causation issues or reputational issues and public liability (PL) cases where the force faces claims for wrongful arrest, breach of Human Rights, breach of DPA/GDPR, misfeasance, malicious prosecution and Judicial review. I find my role really rewarding and enriching as it gives me a platform to make a direct difference to the organisation I work for. One day I may be defending the Chief against unfounded claims making strike out applications and the other assisting the wider organisation by feeding lessons learned into different forums. I also get to support the wider organisation, supporting officers on the ground by providing real time assistance through the advice helpline. JLS has a friendly supportive culture committed to making a difference and achieving the best outcome for its clients. I am proud to play my part in making a difference and upholding the force values.
Senior Lawyer – Civil Team
What I enjoy most about working for Staffordshire and West Midlands Police Joint Legal Services is the people, both the clients and my colleagues. Clients provide instructions on a wide range and variety of legal matters, and no one day is the same. You’d be surprised but the quality of work is just as good as or even better than you would find in the private sector (e.g. working on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games or providing advice in relation to Party Political Conferences etc.). We have a great bunch of lawyers, everyone is really supportive and happy to free up time to help guide and share knowledge.
Senior Lawyer – Employment and Misconduct Team
I work as a senior lawyer in the commercial team, which has given me the opportunity to work on a number of high value and high profile commercial transactions. Both police forces routinely procure a wide range of goods and services to support their primary policing purpose. The commercial team supports the Contracts and Procurement departments in each force, reviewing, drafting and negotiating commercial documents – advising on everything from IP rights, data protection, confidential police information, termination arrangements, performance management and breach of contract – to ensure that each police force not only provides an excellent policing service but that each force does so effectively and efficiently, providing excellent value for money for the people of West Midlands and Staffordshire.
Senior Lawyer – Commercial Team
We advise on a broad range of operational legal issues across both client forces; from the use of powers to points of law arising in various circumstances from urgent, dynamic matters to ongoing investigations, some of which can be high profile or complex due to the seriousness of the offending under investigation.
Civil preventative orders prevent the commission of criminal offences across most areas of policing. Preventative orders can be obtained in many circumstances. Examples of these are against individuals in relation to sexual harm, stalking, modern slavery, gang-related violence and anti-social behaviour; against premises by way of closure orders; to protect individuals at risk of being forced to marry or FGM; in regulatory areas of firearms and alcohol licensing; and to remove the proceeds of crime from circulation through applications for forfeiture of cash and account freezing orders against money in bank accounts. We also advise on disclosure matters arising in family proceedings where there are linked criminal investigations.
We all go to court regularly at various stages of legal proceedings from without notice applications on an emergency basis, case management and final hearings.
This is a really rewarding career aimed at protecting the public and preventing the commission of offences. We also seek to disrupt serious and organised crime from a civil perspective. The work is exciting and very different. We need to be proactive with strong problem-solving skills. Our staff develop a versatile knowledge of the law and are encouraged to apply it to it’s most practical way.
Senior Lawyer – Operational
Police law is an exciting practice area and our team are required to advise on an assortment of legal issues, ranging from small civil claims to highly sensitive matters of national importance. The variety of legal work means that no one working day is the same and our team are challenged by the requirement to keep their knowledge current on ever changing law, policy, guidance and procedure.
To be a part of our department to is to be part of something special, using your skill and expertise to assist the forces make a difference within the communities they serve.
The structure of our department means a career within Joint Legal Services leaves professional development opportunity open. We offer flexi time working to all employees and adopt a hybrid approach to working away from the office.
Please visit the benefits page to find out more about the benefits package for working at West Midlands Police.
If you want a challenge and are interested in this area of practice please review our current vacancies and/or contact us at ls_joint_services@westmidlands.police.uk with any questions and member of the team will be in touch.