International Rule of Law Programme Senior Policy Advisor

Main purpose of job:

The job holder will represent the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in India and drive delivery of our objectives. The role will strengthen strategic engagement with the Government of India, champion Ministry of Justice interests at post, and accelerate progress on priority areas including legal services liberalisation, Foreign National Offenders (FNO) cooperation, all the while helping to strengthen cooperation on rule of law initiatives.

We reserve the right to review, revise or amend the roles and responsibilities from time to time reflecting the changing needs of business.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

• Lead implementation of International Rule of Law Programme activity in India, focusing on court digitisation, legislative drafting, prison cooperation and emerging opportunities for collaboration.
• Build and maintain relationships with key counterparts in the Government of India, including all three departments of the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Interior for prison related equities and the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Provide oversight of strategic bilateral committees such as the Joint Consultative Committee and Legal Profession Committee ahead of their 26/27 delivery.
• Work closely with FCDO, Ministry of Justice and other Government department teams to ensure alignment of priorities and effective representation of Ministry of Justice interests.
• Build understanding of the significance of Ministry of Justice interests and their relevance to driving forward HMG agenda, specifically the Growth Mission and Safer Streets.
• Feed into cross-government initiatives on the UK-India bilateral relationship such as monitoring progress on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership commitments.
• Support UK legal services market access objectives via engagements with key Indian stakeholders, particularly around the Bar Council of India rules for foreign lawyers.
• Foreign National Offenders: Liaise on prisoner transfer agreements, consular coordination, Early Removal Scheme and sensitive extradition-related issues.
• Provide strategic advice, analysis, and regular reporting to the Ministry of Justice International Rule of Law Team and governance boards.
• Act as Ministry of Justice's focal point at post, ensuring visibility and influence in a competitive policy environment.

Last date to apply for the job is 09th April 2026 by 23:55 IST.