Legal Officer - Administration of Justice

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and guidance on a wide array of legal matters, with a special emphasis on the UN internal justice system and human resources legal issues.
• Analyse and advise on requests for management evaluations by UNHCR staff.
• Assist in responding to media requests and donor demands in relation to cases involving serious misconduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse or sexual harassment.
• Assist the Senior Legal Officer in preparing legal pleadings and representing the Organization as co-counsel at oral hearings before the United Nations Dispute Tribunal.
• Assist in liaising with the Office of Legal Affairs in the UN Secretariat on legal issues relating to claims before the United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT).
• Liaise with the UNHCR Ombudsperson in connection with cases referred to mediation.
• Provide legal advice, as necessary, to the Inspector General's Office on investigation procedures and to the Director, DHRM on disciplinary proceedings.
• Provide legal interpretation of UN Regulations and Rules and relevant instructions, guidance and policy issues.
• Review draft human resources policies and ensure that they are aligned with established policy and standards; guide offices in the field to ensure that personnel matters are dealt with in accordance with relevant procedural guidelines.
• Analyse UNHCR's internal regulatory framework, as appropriate, and propose initiatives and measures to enhance existing policies and practices and ensure compliance with relevant rules and regulations.
• Support the identification

Benefits

Additional Information

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium. Deadline for Applications June 12, 2026 Hardship Level H (no hardship) Family Type Family Residential location (if applicable) Grade PR3 Staff Member / Affiliate Type Professional Reason Regular > Regular Assignment Target Start Date 2026-07-01 Standard Job Description Legal Officer - Administration of Justice Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The position of Legal Officer- Administration of Justice is located in the Legal Affairs Service (LAS). The incumbent serves under the supervision of the Senior Legal Officer - Administration of Justice, P4. The incumbent may supervise interns, consultants and junior staff. S/he provides support on all matters relating to the UN internal justice system, including preparation of legal opinions and advice on requests for management evaluation, drafting legal pleadings and representing the Organization at oral hearings before international tribunals, including the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT). The incumbent is also responsible for providing advice on legal issues relating to investigations and disciplinary proceedings. S/he also assists in liaising with the Office of Legal Affairs in the UN Secretariat on legal issues relating to cases before the United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT). The incumbent also provides substantive input regarding the drafting of legal opinions and policies on HR-related matters. The incumbent will handle as a priority, cases related to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment which require special care and expertise to substantiate complex cases and protect witnesses and survivors. The incumbent will play a role in contributing to effective action to detect, respond and prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment, particularly by reducing the time required to process these complex cases. The incumbent may also be asked to assist in knowledge management and case updates for LAS. The incumbent may be requested to give advice on other non-refugee matters including contracts and the status, privileges and immunities of UNHCR and its personnel. In a particularly demanding environment, the incumbent, in addition to solid generalist legal background, will demonstrate sound written and oral advocacy skills acquired before judicial or arbitral courts or administrative tribunals. The Legal Officer must have an in-depth knowledge of the jurisprudence of the UNDT and UNAT or knowledge and experience in applying employment or administrative law in a national jurisdiction. The incumbent must also understand, or have the ability to rapidly understand how the UN statutory framework functions. All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

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