Civilian Drug Expert Witness - 01
Job Title: Civilian Drug Expert Witness - 01
Salary: The starting salary is £38,926, which includes allowances totalling £2,928.
The salary is broken down as £35,998 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £38,523. Plus, a location allowance of £1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.
Location: Vauxhall
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Strategic Drugs Delivery Team within Specialist Crime of the Metropolitan Police.
We are looking for civilian drug expert witness to provide independent expert analysis and independent opinion on drugs-related evidence to support investigations and prosecutions and to deliver expert witness reports and testimony that enable courts to understand technical and evidential matters outside their experience
Working for the Met doesn’t have to mean patrolling the streets. Just as important as our uniformed officers is our 14,000-strong team of professional and support staff working behind the scenes. It’s these skilled people who provide the organisational capability to police London.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Examine and analyse drugs-related evidence and prepare independent expert reports, enabling courts and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to progress prosecutions effectively.
- Provide expert testimony in court across England and Wales, presenting complex evidence in a clear and impartial manner to assist judicial decision-making.
- Engage with investigators and CPS lawyers to agree terms of reference for expert evidence, ensuring reports address key evidential issues required for prosecutions.
- Maintain independence and impartiality in line with Criminal Procedure Rules (Part 19) and Criminal Procedure Directions, ensuring reports withstand judicial and cross-examination scrutiny.
- Collaborate with colleagues and external experts to produce joint expert reports when directed by the court, ensuring consistency of opinion and evidential robustness.
- Manage workload and deadlines autonomously, prioritising tasks in line with court timetables and case requirements to avoid delays in proceedings.
- Undertake peer review of expert reports to maintain quality standards and consistency of methodology across the team.
- Support continuous improvement by contributing expertise to training, guidance and knowledge-sharing activities within the Drugs Delivery Team.
- Produce approximately 100 expert witness reports annually for Crown Court cases (including Old Bailey), ensuring courts receive impartial technical evidence.
- Quality assure approximately 400 Drugs Expert Witness (DEW) statements per year from Basic Command Units (BCUs) and other Operational Command Units (OCUs), maintaining consistency and evidential accuracy.
- Decline instructions when a case falls outside personal expertise, ensuring compliance with Criminal Procedure Rules, while fulfilling mandatory court taskings.
- Peer review expert reports within the Strategic Drugs Delivery Team or with external experts, to maintain quality standards.
Who we're looking for:
- In-depth knowledge of drugs markets, trafficking methodologies and evidential interpretation in line with Criminal Procedure Rules.
- Understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. Misuse of Drugs Act, Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act).
- High-level analytical and report-writing skills to interpret evidence and present impartial findings.
- Strong verbal communication skills to present evidence clearly to courts and withstand cross-examination.
- Ability to prioritise competing case demands and meet strict deadlines set by the CPS and judiciary.
- Proven experience producing expert witness reports in drugs-related investigations, either in law enforcement or as an independent practitioner.
- Demonstrable record of presenting evidence in criminal courts.
- Must be a recognised practising expert witness in drugs trafficking and/or supply, established either through independent practice or previous recognition by the courts (e.g. a recently retired detective previously recognised as an expert witness).
Benefits:
You’ll also enjoy the kind of great benefits that you’d expect from one of London's largest employers.
These include:
- Annual leave entitlement of 28 days plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service
- Civil service pension arrangements
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Membership of Met sports and social clubs
- Flexible working conditions and many more.
London is one of the most exciting and diverse cities in the world – and policing it is no easy task. It takes a huge number of people from all sorts of different backgrounds with a wide range of skills and experience. Do you have what it takes to be one of them? Find out if a career with the Met is what you’re looking for and what kind of challenges; experience and rewards you could have in store.
Closing date: In order to streamline our recruitment process, we reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once we have received a sufficient number of application.
Vetting
This post requires access to the most sensitive intelligence material on a daily basis. Applicants must hold or be prepared to undergo National Security Vetting (NSV) Security Check (enhanced) (SC(e)) level before taking up the post; with a willingness to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) once in post, if required.
How to apply
To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply button “. The application process requires a comprehensive CV, a Personal Statement, and an online application form. In your Personal Statement, you should explain your interest in the position and illustrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable candidate. Please note that you should not submit two copies of your CV, and ensure that your documents are saved in either PDF or Word format, clearly labelled as CV and Personal Statement.
Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 11th February 2026.
Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager.
Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview.