C25075 - Fire Safety - Legal Support

Kent and Medway Fire Authority is seeking to secure the services of a retained Barrister to provide formal and informal legal advice and training on matters appertaining to the interpretation and application of a range of fire safety law, regulatory processes connected with it, and fire investigation. The contract will have a duration of 3 years with one year’s optional extension with the agreement of both parties. For the avoidance of doubt, this requirement does not include advocacy. However, it does include involvement in the review and preparation of cases for court and as regards Determinations under Article 36 of The Order. The supplier will be required to provide details of the legal support provided to fire and rescue services in the field of fire safety. As a regulator with prosecution responsibilities on average, the Service has approximately 40 items for Lot 1 per annum requiring such legal advice, in a range from minor matters to others connected with major cases.

The Service requires specialist legal advice, and support of a solicitor(s) capable of administering all elements involved in the progression of legal cases pertaining to the enforcement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as amended (“The Order”), and in relation to the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, and the Services role in enforcing the Order and conducting fire investigations. The Service requires specialist legal advice in relation to fire safety issues, which without prejudice to the generality of the advice required. Full service specification can be found on the Kent Business Portal within the full tender pack.