Head, Judicial Records Unit Full-time Job

Head, Judicial Records Unit

The post is located in the Judicial Records Unit, of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) Arusha Branch. The incumbent will report to the Deputy Officer-in-Charge of the Registry of the Arusha branch.

*Appointment of the successful candidate to this position will be subject to budgetary approval.

Responsibilities

Acts as the focal point for the Registry for all procedural, administrative and court support services matters concerning all ongoing cases, including management and distribution of the court calendar and duty roster, and interfaces with Chambers, Prosecution, Defence, national authorities, the United Nations Detention Facility, and other relevant parties;

Oversees the work of the Associate Legal Officers, Judicial Records Assistants (JRA) and other JRU staff in regard to the daily management of judicial records, including quality control and response to requests for assistance;

Ensures the receipt and accurate filing of judicial documents, identifying confidential documents and other types of documents requiring special attention;

Coordinates the procedures for the handling of court exhibits in open cases and their storage;

Supervises the preparation of files required for court hearings, if any, ensuring that all necessary documents are included, that they are indexed and tabbed before presentation to the Judges, and/or Parties;

Responsible for compiling and providing monthly statistics in relation to court proceedings for the Registrar;

Oversees the work of JRAs in the release and daily distribution of the transcripts of all hearings;

Provides advice and assistance to the Office of the Registrar, in particular to the Deputy Officer-in-Charge and Officer-in-Charge of the Registry Arusha branch, in respect to initiating and implementing new procedures and policies;

Manages the case files in open cases and oversees the handing over of case files in closed cases to the judicial archives;

Assumes responsibility for legal and practical issues related to the judicial databases.

Coordinates the transmittal of court exhibits into the Unified Judicial Database;

Assists the Office of the Registrar with the correspondence with State parties and international entities involved in court proceedings, including on requests for information;

Coordinates with the Language Support Services of the Mechanism with respect to its provision of interpretation and translations;

Oversees the Registry vaults for material in open cases;

Coordinates and manages court operations, encompassing all necessary arrangements for all hearings, including trial, appeal and review hearings and Status Conferences, including the provision of support services required during the proceedings in accordance with Registry Directives and Instructions, and in consultation with Chambers;

Manages the JRU staff in performing court operation functions, including the handling of exhibits, processing of exhibits in the eCourt system, and preparation of any case files;

Coordinates the execution of judicial decisions requiring Registry implementation, such as warrants of arrest, provisional releases; early releases; subpoenas, summonses, safe conducts, binding orders and requests for production of documents including in relation to Rule 86 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, hearings via video-teleconference, depositions and the attestation of written statements pursuant to Rule 110;

Undertakes any other tasks assigned by the Deputy Officer-in-Charge and the Officer-in-Charge of the Arusha branch.

Competencies

Professionalism: Good legal drafting, record-keeping, management and administrative skills. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges. Remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

Accountability Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments. Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards. Operates in compliance with organisational regulations and rules. Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments. Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Client Orientation Considers all those to whom services are provided to be clients and seeks to see things from clients point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Managing Performance Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly

Judgement/Decision-making Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organisation. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in law. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Work Experience

Minimum of 5 years of experience is required in legal proceedings, international law or court records.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of French and/or Kinyarwanda is an advantage.

Assessment

There may be an assessment exercise for qualified candidates followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Special Notice:

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

The appointment is limited to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. *Appointment of the successful candidate to this position will be subject to budgetary approval. Appointment of the successful candidate on this position will be limited to the initial funding of the post. Extension of the appointment is subject to the extension of the mandate and/or the availability of funds. As the international tribunals are not integrated in the Secretariat, UN Staff Members serve on assignment or secondment from their parent department/office if selected. Appointments of staff members in the United Nations are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General. Staff Members are expected to move periodically to new functions in accordance with established rules and procedures, and may in this context be reassigned by the Secretary-General throughout the Organization based on the changing needs and mandates.

NOTE FOR PREVIOUSLY ROSTERED CANDIDATES

Roster candidates must express their interest and availability for published job openings by submitting an updated PHP and cover letter.

Posting Title: Head, Judicial Records Unit, P3

Job Code Title: Chief of Unit, Court Management

Department/ Office: International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals

Duty Station: ARUSHA

Posting Period: 8 April 2022-7 May 2022

Job Opening number: 22-JUR-RMT-178857-R-ARUSHA (R)

This position is located in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Registry, Arusha Branch under the supervision of the Chief Administrative Officer and in coordination with the Officer in Charge of the Registry of the Arusha Branch. The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (The Mechanism) was established by Security Council resolution 1966 (2010) to carry out a number of essential functions of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The Mechanism has two branches, in Arusha and in The Hague.