Family Justice Council Vacancies

CAN YOU HELP US TO DELIVER BETTER JUSTICE FOR FAMILIES?

APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE FAMILY JUSTICE COUNCIL

The Family Justice Council is an interdisciplinary body with members drawn from a cross section of those who work, use, or have an interest in, the family justice system. They include judges, lawyers, doctors, social workers, academics and civil servants. The Council monitors the effectiveness of the family justice system, advising on reforms necessary for improvement and promoting an interdisciplinary approach to family justice in England and Wales.

Recruitment information webinar – Parent/Family representative role

We invite those looking to apply for the parent/family representative role to come and join us for a 45 minute webinar to hear more about the exciting work of the Family Justice Council (FJC) and what it is like to be a member.

This will take place on Wedneaday 20 May 2026 at 1pm on MS Teams.

The event will be hosted by Mr Justice Keehan, Deputy Chair of the FJC, who will be joined by Angela Frazer-Wicks MBE, a previous parent/family representative on the Council, and Jenny Beck KC (Hon), our Private Law Solicitor. Previous and current members will share a little about their experience on the Council then we will open up for questions from attendees.

Register here for the webinar: FJC Recruitment Webinar – Registration Form  

All are welcome to join us at this webinar to hear more about the work of the Council.

Vacancies

The Family Justice Council has three vacancies for the following membership roles:

Parent and Family Representative:

  • You are a parent, kinship carer, or special guardian with lived experience of the Family Justice System.

Family Mediator:

  • A qualified mediator with at least five years’ experience, having achieved Family Mediation Council (FMC) Accreditation, demonstrating a record of achievement at senior level that includes a knowledge of family mediation following relationship breakdown.
  • A recent track record of successful mediation in child contact including direct consultation with children, money and property disputes.
  • Recent experience of working with legal aid eligible clients and the use of the MIAM voucher scheme.
  • Maintains, or is willing to develop, contacts across different family mediation organisations.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of wider Non-Court Dispute Resolution and the court process for families.

Public Law Solicitor (private practice):

  • An experienced practising solicitor specialising in public law family work in a private practice.

Please note that we are not recruiting for a local authority solicitor on this occasion, as there is a Council member undertaking that role.

The posts are for three years and are offered without remuneration. Reasonable travel expenses are payable.

How to apply

The full list of essential criteria for applicants and instructions on how to apply can be found in the Candidate Information Pack (PDF).

For ease, MS Word versions of the Application Forms can be found below:

Applications must be submitted by 4.30pm on Monday 1 June 2026 to fjc@justice.gov.uk

Interviews are due to take place in late June to mid – late July. All interviews will be by MS Teams.

Diversity and inclusion

The Family Justice Council is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all applicants and to the principles of public appointments based on merit with independent assessment, openness and transparency of process.

We encourage applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to apply.