Apply to the Advocate General's Panel of Northern Ireland Special Advocates
Summary
The Advocate General has opened a competition to expand the Panel of Northern Ireland Special Advocates. The campaign targets junior barristers and Solicitor Advocates called to the Bar or on the Roll in Northern Ireland with at least five years' advocacy experience and judicial review matter experience. Applicants must obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance. Application details available by email request.
What changed
The Government Legal Department has announced a recruitment campaign to expand the Advocate General's Panel of Northern Ireland Special Advocates. Eligible applicants are junior barristers and Solicitor Advocates called to the Bar or on the Roll in Northern Ireland with at least five years' advocacy experience and judicial review matter experience. Barristers who have taken silk are not eligible. All applicants must be willing to undergo and obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance.
Affected parties should note this is a recruitment announcement rather than a regulatory change. Interested legal professionals should contact the provided email address to request application documentation. An online information session will be held on 14 April 2026 at 5:30pm for prospective applicants.
What to do next
- Email SpecialAdvocatesRecruitment@governmentlegal.gov.uk for application forms and candidate information
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
News story
Apply to the Advocate General’s Panel of Northern Ireland Special Advocates
The competition to expand the Advocate General’s Panel of Northern Ireland Special Advocates is now open.
From: Government Legal Department Published 8 April 2026 The Advocate General is seeking to appoint new members to the panel of Northern Ireland (NI) Special Advocates. This campaign is specifically aimed at junior barristers and Solicitor Advocates who are called to the Bar or are on the Roll in NI, who have at least five years’ advocacy experience. Experience representing either plaintiffs or defendants in judicial review matters is essential. Applications from barristers who have taken silk will not be accepted.
As a Special Advocate, you will be carrying out a constitutionally critical role by representing the interests of the excluded party in Closed Material Proceedings (CMP) and subjecting closed material, withheld on the basis of national security concerns, to independent scrutiny.
You will be working alongside lawyers in the Special Advocates’ Support Office (SASO) who will be based in new premises in NI. You will have the opportunity to appear in a variety of courts and tribunals, working on ‘legacy’ litigation, Security Vetting Appeal Panel cases, as well as criminal and family matters on occasion.
Applicants must be willing to undergo and obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance.
To obtain details about the application process, please refer to the information for candidates form and the FAQ sheet. You can request a copy of this documentation along with the application form by emailing SpecialAdvocatesRecruitment@governmentlegal.gov.uk.
We will be holding an online information session with the Advocate General, SASO and a Special Advocate currently on the NI panel on Tuesday 14 April at 5.30pm to share more detail about the application process and role. If you would like to attend this event, please contact the above email address to express interest and receive joining instructions.
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Published 8 April 2026
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