RAF Attorney: High Court

The Road Accident Fund’s mission is to provide appropriate cover to all road users within the borders of South Africa; to rehabilitate and compensate persons injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents in a timely and caring manner; and to actively promote safe use of our roads.

Purpose of the Job: The RAF Attorney: High Court is responsible for all High Court matters within the Fund and to offer litigation services accordingly. This role will also be responsible to perform a range of tax services including tax bill of costs in compliance with South African laws and regulations.

Key Performance Areas

Policy Review and Implementation

• Contribute to the development and implementation of departmental policy, procedures and processes.
• Keep up to date with effective policy and practice execution strategies.

Preparation and Research on Related Litigation Matters

• Conduct research that will provide information in preparation for all matters for trial.
• Consult with client departments/ representatives, and witnesses for instructions and documentation for cases to be presented in Court.
• Draft pleadings to provide clear motivation/justification on a particular position about the case.

Mediation Process

• All required steps regarding the mediation process, as governed by the amendment to the rules of court, are to be taken.
• Upon conclusion of the mediation, parties shall inform Registrar and all other parties by a notice that Mediation is completed.
• Parties & Mediator must within 5 days of completion of mediation issue a joint minute indicating.

Represent the Road Accident Fund on all third party claims related litigation matters

• Attend court appearances in all allocated third-party litigation matters.
• Ensure file administration from opening to the conclusion of a legal case including adherence to trial dates.
• Handle appearances at courts, tribunals, mediation hearings and inquiries.
• Coordinate administrative legal actions to ensure compliance.
• Approve instructions to appoint and instruct expert witnesses.

Settle non-litigious matters before they are set down for trial

• Block consultation, early assessment of files, and early instructions to experts and assessors.
• Approve requests to appoint and instruct assessors and expert witnesses. 
• Recommend a settlement.

Provision of legal advice to RAF

• Provide legal advice on arising legal matters and contracts.
• Provide well-researched legal advice on matters impacting the organisation.
• Conduct legal research and prepare legal opinions.

Taxation

• Deliver a full range of tax services in compliance with laws and regulations.
• Build relationships and interact with clients to provide consulting and expertise in tax services.
• Provide innovative tax planning and review complex income tax returns

Reporting

• Prepare and submit regulation reports as and when required to provide progress updates and/or inform management decisions.
• Develop reports/ policies/ procedures and guide the process through the alignment of the documents to the overall RAF’s Strategy.
• Develop functional reporting systems, for management, projects or performance reporting.
• Prepare proposals, briefings, presentations, reports, and other documentation and provide management information both verbally and in report format.

Stakeholder Management

• Facilitate and manage communication with relevant internal and external stakeholders in relation to investments and proactively and progressively manage the relationships.
• Manage relationships with vendors, service providers or procurement teams and ensure that all relevant procured items are invoiced and paid on time.
• Communicate with all levels of stakeholder contact.

People management

• Ensure the sourcing, development and retention of a high-performance team.
• Manage the recruitment of the operational workforce in line with employment equity targets.
• Manage staff in the department to ensure that they achieve their objectives in line with the strategic objectives of the RAF.
• Manage the implementation of human capital processes and procedures to control/regulate workplace conflict and/or institute corrective measures and consultation processes to address deviations from standards.
• Allocate, direct, motivate and evaluate subordinates to help them achieve their individual goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law or equivalent.
• Postgraduate in Law or equivalent.
• Admission as an Attorney of the High Court or Advocate.
• Right of appearance in the High Court.

Experience

• Relevant 5-7 years legal experience post-graduation or admission of which 2 years must have been in area of expertise (personal injury litigation)

Behavioural

• • Resilience
  • Communication
  • Working with People
  • Network and Alliances
  • Planning, Organising and Coordinating
  • Employee Engagement
  • Personal Mastery
  • Judgement and Decision Making
  • Ethics and Values
  • Client Service Orientation 

Managerial

• • Change management
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Conflict management
  • Critical and innovative thinking
  • Direction setting
  • Facilitation and Presentation Skills
  • People management
  • Policy conceptualisation and formulation
  • Risk Management
  • Programme/project management
  • Service Delivery Innovation
  • Stakeholder development and relations
  • Reporting

Technical

• • Legislation & regulatory knowledge
  • Ethics & compliance
  • Monitoring and evaluation
  • Policy and standard
  • Governance
  • Claims litigation
  • MVA law and legislation
  • Negotiation
  • Conflict resolution
  • Problem solving and analysis
  • Mediation 

NB: “RAF offers Total Employment Cost packages with no additional contributions from the Employer, successful candidates are required to structure their packages in a manner that will suit their needs”.

The Road Accident Fund subscribes to the principles of employment equity and preference will be given to People with Disabilities.

Applicants who have not received any correspondence from us within six weeks from the closing date can consider themselves unsuccessful

Security Vetting shall be conducted on all prospective employees

It is the applicants’ responsibility to have foreign qualification evaluated by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) and to provide proof of such evaluation.