SENIOR LAW RESEARCHER

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE

The Office of the Chief Justice is an equal opportunity employer. In the filling of vacant posts, the
objectives of section 195 (1)(i) of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996, the employment equity
imperatives as defined by the Employment Equity Act, 1998 (Act 55) of 1998) and the relevant Human
Resource policies of the Department will be taken into consideration and preference will be given to
women, persons with disabilities and the youth.

APPLICATIONS : Free State Division of the High Court: Quoting the relevant reference number,
direct your application to: The Provincial Head, Office of the Chief Justice,
Private Bag X20612, Bloemfontein, 9300 or hand deliver applications to the
Free State Division of the High Court, Corner President Brand and Fontein
Street, Bloemfontein, 9301

CLOSING DATE : 23 December 2024

NOTE : All applications must be submitted on a New Z83 form, which can be
downloaded on the internet at www.judiciary.org.za/
www.dpsa.gov.za/dpsa2g/vacancies.asp or obtainable from any Public
Service Department and should be accompanied by a recent comprehensive
CV only, with contactable referees (telephone numbers and email addresses
must be indicated). Please send your documents in PDF format and put them
in one folder. Only shortlisted candidates will be required to submit certified
copies of qualifications and other related documents on or before the day of
the interview following communication from Human Resources. Each
application form must be fully completed, duly signed and initialled on both
pages by the applicant. The application must indicate the correct job title, the
office where the position is advertised and the reference number as stated in
the advert. Failure by the applicant to fully complete, sign and initial the
application form will lead to disqualification of the application during the
selection process. Applications on the old Z83 will unfortunately not be
considered. Should you be in possession of a foreign qualification, it must be
accompanied by an evaluation certificate from the South African Qualification
Authority (SAQA). Dual citizenship holders must provide the Police Clearance
Certificate from the country of origin (when shortlisted all non – SA citizens will
be required to submit a copy of proof of South African permanent residency).
Suitable candidates will be subjected to a personnel suitability check (criminal
record, financial checks, qualification verification, citizenship checks, reference
checks and employment verification). Correspondence will be limited to shortlisted candidates only. If you have not been contacted within three (3) months
after the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that your application
was unsuccessful. The Department reserves the right not to make any
appointment(s) to the advertised post(s). Applicants who do not comply with
the above-mentioned requirements, as well as applications received late, will
not be considered. Failure to submit all the requested documents will result in
the application not being considered during the selection process. All
successful candidates will be expected to enter into an employment contract
and a performance agreement within 3 months of appointment, as well as be
required to undergo a security clearance three (3) months after appointment.
The Office the Chief Justice complies with the provisions of the Protection of
Personal Information Act (POPIA); Act No. 4 of 2013. We will use your personal
information provided to us for the purpose of recruitment only and more
specifically for the purpose of the position/vacancy you have applied for. In the
event that your application was unsuccessful, the Office of the Chief Justice
will retain your personal information for internal audit purposes as required by
policies. All the information requested now or during the process is required for
recruitment purposes. Failure to provide requested information will render your
application null and void. The Office of the Chief Justice will safeguard the
security and confidentiality of all information you shared during the recruitment
process.

POSTB 45/103 : SENIOR LAW RESEARCHER, REF NO: 2024/289/OCJ

SALARY : R552 081 – R650 322 per annum, (Level 10). The successful candidate will be
required to sign a performance agreement.
CENTRE : Free State Division of The High Court

REQUIREMENTS : Matric certificate and an LLB or four (4) year legal qualification as recognised
by SAQA. A minimum of three (3) years’ experience as a Law Researcher.
Knowledge of electronic information resources and the ability to access and
utilize computer research programmes (Westlaw, LexisNexis, Jutastats). An
LLM degree will serve as an added advantage. Skills and Competencies:
Excellent research and analytical skills. Report writing and editing skills.
Excellent communication skills (written and verbal). Understanding of the
Constitution and relevant legislation. Computer literacy (MS Office). Problem
analysis and solving skills. Planning and organizing. Ability to integrate
knowledge from diverse sources. Accuracy and attention to detail.
Interpersonal skills. Time management skills. Ability to work under pressure.
Ability to work independently. Supervisory skills.

DUTIES : Perform all legal duties for the judges to enable them to prepare judgments.
Research and retrieve all material from all sources in both hard copy and
electronic format on legal issues, as requested by the judges and other
personnel of the court. Read all the relevant material and analyse it thoroughly.
Discuss all possible variations on a legal point with colleagues and/or the
judge. Prepare a comprehensive memorandum on the outcome of the
research. Proofread all judgments, articles, speeches and conference papers.
Verify all references and footnotes in all judgments and legal articles against
the original text for correctness. Correct documents with the help of track
changes to allow for the acceptance/rejection of the proposed changes.
Drafting of speeches, conference notes and legal articles. Monitoring and
bringing to the attention of judges of the court recent developments in case law
and jurisprudence. Supervise the law researchers and manage all HR related
functions within the unit. Assist with the communication, organization and full
secretariat functions for the Judge President’s Case Flow Management
meetings. All shortlisted candidates shall undertake a pre-entry practical
exercise as part of the assessment method to determine the candidate’s
suitability based on the post’s technical and generic requirements.

ENQUIRIES : Technical Related Enquiries: Ms Z. Gxabuza Tel No: (051) 492 4588
HR Related Enquiries: Ms N. de la Rey Tel No: (051) 492 4585
APPLICATIONS : Applications can be sent via email at applicationsfs@judiciary.org.za The
department will give preference to candidates in line with the employment
equity goals

All the best with your applications