New York-style local justice is being exported to Liverpool

The �3m pilot, a so-called "one-stop justice centre", is due to open in the city in December.

It is being modelled on similar centres in New York City and aims to both punish and help offenders.

The judge, who will earn �113,121pa, will be expected to build a rapport with the community and monitor the progress of offenders.

As well as dealing with anti-social behaviour and low-level crime, the centre will offer services such as drug treatment and debt counselling.

'Public face'

It has been developed in partnership between the Home Office, Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The judge will be expected to start in September to ensure he or she is settled in to the job before the formal opening of the centre.

"What we are looking for is someone who can take development of this new approach to handling offenders in partnership with the community," a DCA spokesman said.

"The judge will be expected to monitor the progress of the offender personally and establish a rapport with the community, becoming the public face of the community justice centre."

Agency co-operation

The pilot scheme at the centre will run until at least the end of 2006, the spokesman confirmed.

It has been inspired by the Red Hook community justice centre in New York, which opened in the 1990s.

The Liverpool centre will feature a courtroom and a range of criminal justice agencies and social services, with the aim that they will work quickly and effectively together.

Serving circuit and district judges from across England and Wales are eligible to apply for the job. The application deadline is Monday 12 July.