The Seven Principles of Public Life
All candidates for public appointments are expected to demonstrate a commitment to, and an understanding of, the value and importance of the principles of public service. The seven principles of public life are:
Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
Diversity and Inclusivity
We want to ensure any appointee to the Department’s arm’s length bodies is committed to promoting diversity, in its broadest possible sense. This will include embedding a commitment to the principles of levelling up and championing opportunity for all across the organisation, helping to ensure that the organisation is one in which a genuinely diverse range of views can be expressed, without fear or favour.
We encourage applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Arrangements for Candidates with a Disability
An offer of an interview will be given to candidates with disabilities who supply sufficient evidence to meet the minimum selection criteria for the role.
Reasonable Adjustments
If you have a disability and require any arrangements or adjustments for any part of the recruitment or selection process, please state clearly on your application and contact Anna Payne (quote PAT 160062 in any correspondence) via PublicAppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk
Further information can be found here.
Complaints Process
If you have a complaint about any aspect of the way your application has been handled, we would like to hear from you. In the first instance please write to or e-mail the Public Appointments Team at the address or e-mail address given below quoting the appropriate reference number.
Maggie Garrett, Ministry of Justice, Head of the Public Appointments Team, ALB Centre of Expertise, Ministry of Justice, E-mail address: PublicAppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk
Complaints must be received by the Public Appointments Team within 12 calendar months of the issue or the closure of the recruitment competition, whichever is the later.
We will acknowledge your complaint within two working days of receipt and reply within 20 working days of receipt. We will tell you if we cannot meet this deadline for any reason and provide an expected reply date.
Taking it Further
If you are still concerned after receiving your reply you can write to:
Commissioner for Public Appointments
Room G/8, Ground Floor, 1 Horse Guards Road
London, SW1A 2HQ
publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.
The Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPA) regulates and monitors appointments to public bodies to ensure procedures are fair. More information about the role of the Commissioner, the Governance Code for Public Appointments and the complaints process is available here.
Alternatively, please contact the Commissioner’s office on 020 7271 6729, or 0207 271 3305 for a printed copy of the complaints process.
Your Personal Information
In accordance with the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019(4)(5), we will process your application in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Ministry of Justice’s Information Charter.
Your data will be held securely and access will be restricted to those dealing with your application or involved in the recruitment process. Your data may also be shared with the Commissioner for Public Appointments and other relevant government departments, including the Cabinet Office, as part of a complaint investigation or review of the recruitment process. Cabinet Office will handle data in accordance with their Privacy Notice. Your data may also be disclosed as required by law or in connection with legal proceedings.
Your data will be stored for up to two years and processed for the purpose of the recruitment process, diversity monitoring and, if successful, your personal record. If appointed, your data will be stored for the duration of your tenure and may be shared with the organisation to which you are appointed, unless you specifically request us not to.
Should you wish your data to be removed from our records, please contact publicappointmentsteam@Justice.gov.uk.