Job Description

Job description

Terms and Conditions: Full time, Permanent, 37 hours per week

Department: Resources

Interview date: 29th September 2025

The Litigation Legal Team is a hard-working, highly motivated team of legal professionals striving to deliver the best possible legal service to our client departments. We work proactively and collaboratively in a friendly and supportive environment to achieve the best outcomes for our client departments.



We are looking to recruit a professional who is a good team player with experience in litigation matters: attending courts, tribunals, public inquiries or other meetings, undertaking advocacy where required and providing regulatory legal advice to all departments.



The post consists mainly of regulatory prosecution work relating to environmental health, (eg fly-tipping) but also in relation to other areas for example, statutory nuisance, housing standards, trading standards, food safety, licensing, education, town and country planning, building control, highways, drainage, anti-social behaviour and any other function under which the Council may prosecute. You will be required to undertake advocacy at the magistrates' court regularly to present the prosecution case.



It also entails advising generally in relation to all types of licensing matters including advising the Council's internal decision-making sub committees on the law relating to taxi Licensing and premises licenses.



You will also represent the Council in licensing appeals or any other such civil appeal to the magistrates' court.



The post also involves some miscellaneous civil litigation, for example, property tribunal matters arising from enforcement in housing standards and trading standards plus County Court or High Court work such as planning injunctions and debt recovery work. There will also be some work involving defending miscellaneous judicial review claims and advice/assistance responding to complaints.



You will be required to meet practice management requirements and ensure compliance with policies and procedures, assist in supervision of other staff members, support the team play a key role in maintaining high service standards.



We welcome applications from Solicitors, Barristers and Chartered Legal Executives with experience of Litigation. Experience in a Local Authority environment would be helpful but is not essential as we support opportunities for training and development.



We offer a range of employee benefits including generous leave entitlement, flexible working, hybrid working, excellent pension provisions, Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Service and Vivup rewards scheme. We are based in modern offices in the Town Hall which is close to transport links.



For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Shelagh Lyth, Principal Solicitor for Litigation on 01254 588921 or email Shelagh.lyth@blackburn.gov.uk.



The role is subject to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's vetting process and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Job details

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Job reference
REQ04276
Date posted
26/08/2025
Application closing date
21/09/2025
Location
Blackburn with Darwen
Salary
Grade I, SCP 34-38, 45,091 to 49,282 per annum
Package
Blank
Contractual hours
37
Basis
Full time
Job category/type
Council