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Types of roles

Court roles

The JAC is responsible for recommending applicants for roles at all levels of the court system, up to and including the High Court. These include:

  • Judge Advocate General 
  • High Court
  • High Court Masters
  • Circuit Judge 
  • Recorder 
  • District Judge 
  • District Judge (Magistrates Court) 

We also choose candidates for authorisation to act as High Court Judges under the Senior Courts Act 1981.

Find out more about Section 9(1) authorisation to act as a Judge of the High Court

Eligibility

To be eligible for selection, candidates must already be an experienced circuit judge, Recorder or qualifying tribunal judge (view policy for details)

Applying

Candidates need to apply online, provide a statement of suitability, 2 pieces of written work and contact details for their direct leadership judge.

After application

We request a statement of a candidate’s suitability for the post from the leadership judge and carry out statutory consultation. We then recommend candidates to the Heads of Division who consult the Lord Chancellor before authorising them to act as judges of the High Court. 

Successful candidates may not be authorised immediately but will become part of a pool and can then act as judges to help the High Court with its work when needed.  

Find out more about Section 9(4) Deputy High Court Judge appointments

Eligibility

To be eligible for selection as a Deputy High Court Judge, candidates must be a qualified legal professional with relevant experience who meets the criteria for judicial office. Unlike some other roles, this process is open to candidates with and without previous judicial experience.

Applying

The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) runs an open competition for these roles, ensuring a fair selection of candidates based on merit. The JAC’s goal is to attract a diverse range of applicants to ensure a wide pool of talent is considered.

After application

Following the competition, the JAC recommends suitable candidates to the Lady Chief Justice. The Lady Chief Justice then appoints the successful applicants as Deputy High Court Judges for a fixed term.

The purpose of a s9(4) Deputy High Court Judge appointment is to provide candidates of exceptional ability with a pathway to make an application to be a salaried High Court judge.

Understanding court roles  

The judiciary website contains a wide range of information for people interested in working as a judge. Watch videos with serving judges explaining what their roles involve (all links open in a new tab): 

You can also discover which judge sits in which court and the sort of cases different judges deal with.  

Career pathways

Read about the routes that people from different backgrounds have taken to become judges. 

View more case studies

Find out more about judges’ career pathways on the Judicial Careers Portal.

Support for applicants

The JAC offers expert help for people applying for roles from under-represented groups through its Targeted Outreach programme.

Find out more about other support pathways for your journey into the judiciary.

Next steps

If you’re interested in any open legal roles, check if you’re eligible and what you need to know before you apply.

Let vacancies come to you

Sign up for the JAC’s monthly newsletter, Judging your Future. Get details of live vacancies and information about selection exercises. 

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