Applications have opened for the Advocate General’s Panel of Northern Ireland Special Advocates, with the Government Legal Department confirming the competition on 8 April 2026. The call is aimed at junior barristers and solicitor advocates called in Northern Ireland or on the Roll, offering a route into sensitive public law work outside London. (gov.uk)

As the notice puts it, the role is “constitutionally critical”: Special Advocates represent the interests of the excluded party in Closed Material Proceedings, testing secret evidence withheld on national security grounds. The Justice and Security Act 2013 sets the framework for CMPs and for appointing special advocates. (gov.uk)

Eligibility is tight and practical: at least five years’ advocacy experience and proven judicial review work for claimants or respondents. Applications from barristers who have taken silk will not be accepted, and all appointees must be willing to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance. (gov.uk)

The work will span ‘legacy’ litigation and Security Vetting Appeal Panel cases, with appearances across courts and tribunals. Day to day, appointees will work with the Special Advocates’ Support Office, which is being based in new premises in Northern Ireland - a welcome shift from the usual London centre of gravity. (gov.uk)

For Northern Ireland’s junior Bar and solicitor advocates, a locally based support office matters. It keeps national security and legacy work within reach of practitioners who want to build serious public law careers without relocating, and it gives clients the reassurance that Northern Ireland expertise is in the room.

An online information session with the Advocate General, SASO and a current Northern Ireland Special Advocate will run on Tuesday 14 April 2026 at 5.30pm. Candidates can request the application pack, FAQs and joining instructions by emailing SpecialAdvocatesRecruitment@governmentlegal.gov.uk. (gov.uk)

Practical prep will help. Pull together concise, anonymised case notes showing how you’ve handled judicial review under time pressure, line up referees who can speak to courtroom judgement, and think through conflicts if you also act as open counsel. If DV is new to you, factor in time for vetting and the aftercare that follows clearance. (gov.uk)

The competition is being run by the Advocate General for Northern Ireland - Lord Hermer KC - who also serves as Attorney General for England and Wales. In January, his office confirmed Claire Archbold as Crown Solicitor for Northern Ireland, underlining the push to strengthen senior legal capacity here. (gov.uk)

Closed Material Proceedings remain contested territory in British justice, balancing open justice with national security. The Civil Procedure Rules and the 2013 Act set out how closed hearings run and how Special Advocates may, and may not, communicate after seeing closed material - exacting work that carries real constitutional weight. (justice.gov.uk)