Tribunal roles

Tribunals decide on a wide area of legal matters that affect daily life in the UK. They generally cover England and Wales but some also have legal powers in Scotland and Northern Ireland.  

The tribunal system is made up of 2 tiers: 

• First-tier Tribunal – seven tribunals covering a wide range of areas, from property to tax through to health and immigration 

• Upper Tribunal – four tribunals that mainly review and decide appeals that have come from cases in the first tier 

Read more about the tribunal system. 

Understanding tribunal roles 

The nature of tribunal work means that the role of tribunal judge is often varied.  You may be hearing evidence from witnesses, deciding cases and you may also have the power to impose fines and other penalties.  

Tribunal judges can work on their own or with tribunal members who are not legally qualified but have specialist skills and experience that are relevant to the tribunal’s work.  

You will find that most opportunities are fee-paid with successful candidates sitting for at least 15 days each year. When it comes to salaried roles, judges are usually expected to have worked for at least two years or 30 days in a fee-paid capacity.  

For more insights into the role, watch Tribunal Chamber President Judge John Aitken explain why he became a tribunal judge.

Career pathways 

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

• Samina Majid, First-tier tribunal judge, Social Entitlement Chamber
• David Chrimes, District Tribunal Judge, Social Entitlement Chamber

View more case studies

Find out more about tribunal 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.