District Judge pre-application seminars 2023
The judiciary is holding a series of online seminars via Microsoft Teams for Deputy District Judges, Fee-Paid and Salaried Employment Judges, and Fee-Paid and Salaried Tribunal Judges interested in applying for a District Judge (DJ) appointment in England and Wales.
The next DJ competition is expected to launch in September and there are likely to be 100 vacancies. These seminars are organised by geographical regions – the Courts circuit system – where the spread of vacancies are expected to arise. Judges who sit in the reserved tribunals in Scotland and those sitting in devolved tribunals in Scotland and Wales are eligible to apply provided they meet the statutory eligibility criteria.
The seminars will be taking place from 5-6pm on:
- Monday 26 June – London/South Eastern Circuit
- Tuesday 27 June – Wales
- Wednesday 28 June – Midlands Circuit
- Monday 3 July – Western Circuit
- Tuesday 4 July – North Eastern Circuit
- Wednesday 5 July – Northern Circuit
We recommend you attend the seminar for the circuit area in which you would prefer to be based if appointed, but as these seminars will all be online you may attend whichever is more convenient for you and, potentially, you may attend more than one seminar (subject to numbers/online capacity).
The seminars aim to help applicants be better prepared to make an application and provide guidance and advice on the Judicial Appointments Commission’s (JAC) selection process.
You will hear from local leadership judges, serving DJs (Civil and Family) from the relevant Circuit and a representative from the JAC The seminars will be supported by Mrs Justice Theis and Mrs Justice Stacey and there will be an opportunity to ask questions of the panel.
Who should attend?
Applicants are expected to have previous judicial experience, sitting as a judge in a salaried or fee-paid capacity or a similar role such as the chair of an equivalent body for which a legal qualification is required.
This seminar is facilitated by Judicial HR and supports the Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. Applicants are particularly encouraged from women, ethnic minority lawyers, disabled lawyers and also solicitors and CILEX lawyers who are currently under represented within the judiciary.
If you have any queries regarding the seminar or would like to post in advance a question to the panel, please email: JudicialHRDiversityEvents@judiciary.uk.
Background information:
DJs are appointed by His Majesty the King after a fair and open competition administered by the JAC. The statutory qualification is a minimum of five years’ right of audience in any part of the Supreme Court, or all proceedings in county courts or magistrates’ courts. The upcoming competition will only be open to those with previous judicial experience.
DJs sit on a full-time or part-time salaried basis in the county courts and District Registries of the High Court on a wide spectrum of Civil and Family cases. Salaried part-time working (SPTW) may be available for some posts subject to it having no material adverse impact on the business needs of the courts or the services to users. SPTW options are a matter for discussion and agreement with the appropriate senior judiciary, following selection by the JAC.