Legal Officer – Sudan Location: London (hybrid working)

REDRESS is recruiting a Legal Officer to support the delivery of a project on legal reform in Sudan. We are seeking applications from intermediate candidates with some previous experience in human rights law to contribute to this work.

REDRESS is implementing a 30-month project which started in January 2022. The project focuses on legal reform processes and accountability for human rights violations in Sudan, specifically torture. The project will also enhance the capacity of civil society organisations seeking to engage in law reform processes in Sudan.

The project is also intended to build stronger connections between Sudanese and international experts to draw attention to the institutional and structural factors which have historically facilitated serious human rights violations in Sudan.

REDRESS has a diverse team from different backgrounds and with different experiences. Under our Equality Policy, we welcome applications from people of colour, LGBTQI+ people, and disabled people, who are currently under-represented. We will use positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to appoint from these groups if two candidates are equally qualified. We are also trying to recruit globally where UK immigration law permits it.

Who we are

REDRESS is an international human rights organisation based in London, and The Hague. REDRESS pursues legal claims on behalf of survivors of torture in the UK and around the world to obtain justice and reparation for violations against their human rights. We empower survivors to access justice through human rights cases against governments, civil cases against individuals, and cases where we advocate for law enforcement bodies to prosecute perpetrators under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Our approach is strategic, so that as well as representing an individual we target the policy reasons that enabled the torture to take place, by building a campaign that uses advocacy, community engagement, and communications to influence change.

Our 2025 Strategy identifies torture related to dissent and discriminatory torture as our two thematic priorities. We also support the anti-torture movement through our solidarity programme.

REDRESS has undertaken a process of growth and modernization over the last few years. You can find information about the organization in the latest Trustees Annual Report. We currently have good reserves of nearly six months running costs, and a diverse funding base. We have grown to about 30 staff, and plan to remain at a similar size while we consolidate. We have upgraded our procedures and policies, and we are developing new commitments to improve staff development, further enhance our diversity, build our survivor-centred approach, and ensure people with lived experience are part of REDRESS.

The Programme

Through our Justice International programme we challenge torture in specific jurisdictions where there are opportunities for justice. REDRESS has worked on legal policy reform in Sudan for nearly 20 years, establishing a strong network of partners and an influential role.

Position Profile

The main responsibilities of the role are in relation to REDRESS’ work in Sudan in relation to anti-torture legal reform:

Project delivery. Under the supervision of the legal advisor, the legal officer will be responsible for organising and delivering the activities under the project on human rights legal reform in Sudan. This will include (a) working with Sudanese lawyers and civil society to document and identify substantive legislative proposals for anti-torture reform; (b) delivering training and mentorship of CSOs on building and advocating for substantive legal reform; and (c) mobilizing Sudanese actors towards adopting such reforms.
Project Management. Under the supervision of the Programme manager, the legal officer will be responsible for keeping track of the reporting obligations and preparing reports to the donors; they will also be responsible for identifying avenues to sustain the project.
Networks and partners. The legal officer will also be responsible for developing and maintaining working relationships with partners on the ground and maintaining existing networks towards the completion of the activities under the project.

General Responsibilities

The position will contribute to the work of REDRESS as follows:

Assist in the preparation and delivery of strategic litigation on behalf of clients of REDRESS and partners, through (where necessary) client care, legal and factual research, questioning witnesses, evidential analysis, and drafting of submissions.
Legal Advocacy. Assist in the policy analysis and advocacy in support of the strategic objectives of REDRESS. Work with partners to advocate for legal and institutional reforms or to address systemic challenges. Draft reports, prepare submissions, and advocate to relevant stakeholders in national, regional, and international fora.
Project Management. Deliver innovative and effective projects that further the strategic objectives of the organization. Contribute to the drafting of funding proposals, financial reports, and donor reports.
Case Management. Assist with the management of our casework by keeping electronic and paper filing and carry forward systems up to date and maintaining casework statistics.
Professional Responsibility.Maintain the highest ethical standards, including for direct representation of clients, and case management.
Work collaboratively with other legal and programme staff. Supervise legal assistants and interns.
Assist in the delivery of training programs for specific projects where needed.
Foster relations with existing and potential new partners and counterparts around the world on ongoing litigation, advocacy, training, and policy initiatives.
Representing REDRESS. Contribute to the wider needs of the organisation, including communicating REDRESS’ work to a wide array of audiences.

The position is also expected to carry out such further duties as may reasonably be required from time to time by REDRESS.

Person Specification

This is a mid-level position, and so we expect candidates to have directly relevant experience.

Essential Competencies

The successful candidate will need to have the following essential competencies:

At least three years relevant post-qualification professional experience.
Advanced degree specialised in international law or human rights law, or equivalent experience.
Proficiency in international law, human rights, or international criminal law.
Demonstrated proficiency in legal writing and editing; demonstrated competence in non-legal writing.
Experience delivering projects and managing project budgets.
Experience working with NGOs and other stakeholders in developing countries, including working overseas.
Experience in public speaking to a variety of audiences, including the media.
Experience managing interns and volunteers.
Fluency in written and oral English.
Willingness to undertake frequent travel, including to countries with a history of systematic and severe human rights abuses.
Literacy in social media in a professional environment.

Desirable Competencies

A strong candidate will also have other desirable competencies:

Experience with legal issues in Sudan, the MENA region, or Greater Horn of Africa.
Experience working with survivors and survivor groups.
Licensed to practice law through bar membership or the equivalents.
Working proficiency in a language other than English, in particular Arabic.

Personal Attributes

To work for Redress, the candidate should have the following personal attributes:

Happy to work collaboratively as part of a small and energetic team with a wide range of personalities.
Highly efficient and organised, with an ability to multi-task, show initiative, solve problems, and take a hands-on role when necessary.
Able to think and work strategically, creatively, and under pressure.
Able to understand and support the aims, objectives and values of REDRESS and reflect them in all aspects of work.
Able to work with victims of human rights abuse with a range of specific needs.

Terms

Reporting. The position is part of the Justice International team, and will report to a REDRESS Legal Advisor.

Hours. This is a full-time position at 35 hours a week. Evening and weekend work may be required from time to time.

Location. The position is based at the REDRESS office in London, with significant international travel.

Flexible Working. REDRESS is an “in-person” organisation and we value team work, but we have a flexible working policy which allows for working from home. Staff are required to be in the office at least two days a week.

Salary. REDRESS has fixed salary scales, with annual cost of living increases, and the possibility of step increases with strong performance. This is a mid-level ‘officer’ position, and the salary is either B1 (£31,712) for those who meet the experience requirement, or potentially B2 (£34,091) for those who have more experience. The salaries will increase from 1 April 2023 to reflect inflation.

Duration. The contract is for a fixed-term of 18 months, but is expected to be extended, subject to funding.

Start date. The position would start in January 2023.

Probation. There is a six-month probationary period.

Pension. REDRESS offers a pension contribution of 10% of salary.

Holiday. There are 25 days of holiday per year, in addition to UK public holidays. The office is also closed between Christmas and New Year.

Status. The candidate should have the right to live and work in the UK. Where necessary, REDRESS will apply for a work visa for the United Kingdom for the successful candidate. REDRESS is not able to fund a full relocation package, but may be able to assist with some limited expenses.

Interview process. We expect to do two rounds of interviews, both of which will be online. We may ask candidates to make a short presentation as part of the process, but will provide information on that nearer the time.

How to Apply

Please upload to our recruitment portal a single PDF file with:

A cover letter of no more than one page explaining (a) why you would like to work for REDRESS, (b) how you fulfil the personal specification for the role, and (c) how you will contribute to the diversity of REDRESS.
Your CV or resume.

Please also complete the anonymous Diversity Monitoring Form. We use the information from the form to tell us about the diversity of the applicant pool for each of the positions that we advertise. We keep the conclusions of the analysis for our records, and the underlying data is destroyed three months after the recruitment closes.

This is a re-advertisement of a role previously advertised. Please do not submit a new application if you have previously applied for the role.

Deadline: Friday 6 January 2023