Support to become a judge

Follow the Judicial Pathway

The Judicial Pathway will guide your personal and professional development and help you demonstrate the competencies required for judicial roles.

It suggests activities to help you develop the competencies you’ll need, whatever stage of your career you’re at.

Use the pathway to record your experiences and reflect on the lessons you’ve learned throughout your practising career.

Use the best examples to show you meet the requirements.

Download the Judicial Pathway (PDF 66 KB)

Understanding the role of a judge

Watch the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary videos about career paths for:

• judges
• circuit judges and recorders
• district judges
• tribunal judges

A variety of entry-level judicial roles are available to aspiring judges, including positions as a deputy district judge, a recorder in the courts or a tribunal judge.

Judges can sit on a fee-paid basis while continuing in practice, or work as a full or part-time salaried judge.

Understanding judicial roles

Justices of the Supreme Court

Known as:

• Justice of the Court
• Addressed as Lord or Lady

Application requirements

• Held high judicial office for at least two years, or
• Have satisfied the judicial-appointment eligibility condition on a 15-year basis or have been a qualifying practitioner for at least 15 years
• Not be above 70 years in age

Application process:

• Application form
• CV
• supporting statement
• three significant pieces of writing and
• independent assessments from two nominated assessors

Court of Appeal Judges

Known as:

• Lord or Lady Justice of Appeal
• Addressed as My Lord or Lady
• Referred to as Lord or Lady Justice

Application requirements and process:

• check Judicial Appointments Commission website for up-to-date vacancies and details

High Court Judges

Known as:

• The Honourable Mr/Mrs Justice
• Short form: surname J
• Female high court judges have ‘DBE’ after their name

Application requirements:

• previous judicial experience is not required
• solicitors or barristers with at least seven years’ post-qualification legal experience
• must be able to offer a reasonable length of service, usually five years, before the statutory retirement age of 70

Application process:

• statement of suitability
• CV
• online registration of your profile and preferences

Deputy High Court Judges

Known as: My Lord or My Lady

Application requirements:

• no previous judicial experience is required
• solicitors and barristers with at least seven years’ post-qualification legal experience are
• eligible
• must be able to offer a reasonable length of service before the statutory retirement age of 70

Application process:

• statement of suitability demonstrating the skills and abilities
• independent assessments from two nominated assessors

Master

Known as: Master followed by surname

Application requirements:

• solicitor or barrister
• no upper or lower age limit but time of appointment should allow for a reasonable
• length of service of five years

Application process:

• Self-assessment via online application form
• Independent assessments from two nominated assessors
• Selection day

Deputy Master

Known as: Deputy Master followed by surname

Application requirements:

• solicitor or barrister
• no upper or lower age limit but time of appointment should allow for a reasonable length of service of four years

Application process:

• self-assessment via online application form
• independent assessments from two nominated assessors
• selection day

Circuit Judges

Known as: His or Her Honour Judge

Application requirements:

• solicitor or barrister
• reasonable length of service amounting to three years

Application process:

• self-assessment via online application form

Recorders

Known as: Your honour

Application requirements:

• applications are invited from solicitors and barristers in England and Wales with at least seven years’ post qualification legal experience
• candidates should be able to offer a reasonable length of service, usually four years, before the statutory retirement age of 70

Application process:

• online multiple choice test
• online scenario test
• selection day comprising an interview and role play

District Judges

Known as: Sir or Madam

Application requirements:

• open to solicitors, barristers or fellows of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives with at least five years’ post-qualification legal experience
• knowledge of criminal law and procedure
• should be able to offer a reasonable length of service, usually five years, before the statutory retirement age of 70
• should have previous judicial experience sitting as a judge in a salaried or fee-paid capacity, or experience in a similar role

Application process:

• provide specific examples against the competency framework
• word limit will be set at 250 words per competence

Deputy District Judges

Known as: Sir or Madam:

Application requirements:

• open to solicitors, barristers and fellows of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives with at least five years’ post-qualification experience
• candidates should be able to offer a reasonable length of service, usually four years, before the statutory retirement age of 70

Application process:

• provide specific examples against the competency framework
• word limit will be set at 250 words per competence
• independent assessments from two nominated assessors

Pre-Application Judicial Education Programme

The Pre-Application Judicial Education Programme (PAJE) helps lawyers from under-represented groups who are interested in becoming a judge to feel more confident about applying.

It’s aimed at:

• black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) lawyers
• women lawyers
• lawyers with disabilities
• lawyers from a non-litigation background

You can view online resources and then apply to join a discussion group course led by a judge.

The course looks at the skills and experience you’ll need to be a judge.

Find out more about PAJE

Work shadowing

The Judicial Office runs the Judicial Work Shadowing Scheme. 

It’s open to legal professionals with three years’ post-qualification experience who are thinking about applying for a judicial appointment in the next two years.

If you take part in the scheme, you’ll spend two days shadowing one of the following:

• a district judge (civil, family or magistrates' courts)
• a circuit judge
• a tribunal judge

From March 2022, you can take part in the scheme in person or remotely, depending on your preference and that of the judges.

Find out more about the Judicial Work Shadowing Scheme. 

Observing court hearings

The JAC encourages candidates to:

• observe court hearings
• read the guidance on remote hearings in the Equal Treatment Bench Book

If you wish to observe a Cloud Video Platform (CVP) hearing, contact your local court or tribunal centre.

Ask for confirmation of upcoming CVP hearings on the basis that you wish to join as a member of the public.

If the case is not private, the parties will be asked to consent for an observer to join the hearing.

HM Courts and Tribunal Service should give you access to the remote hearing details and PIN.

Find out more about joining a CVP hearing.

Judicial Outreach Mentoring Scheme

This is aimed at boosting and encouraging greater diversity at all levels of the judiciary.

This scheme operates on a six-month cohort basis. It is available to professionally qualified legal academics who are either:

• lawyers from an ethnic minority background
• attended a (non-fee paying) state school, and/or
• were the first generation in the family to attend university

Applicants must have at least five years’ post-qualification experience and be seeking an appointment in the next two years (or at the next available opportunity).

Find out more about the Judicial Outreach Mentoring Scheme.

Courtroom experience

To get courtroom experience you can do pro bono work, such as:

• volunteer in witness support or become a trustee with the Citizens Advice Bureau
• volunteer in employment, housing and general litigation cases with the Mary Ward Centre
• represent clients in front of tribunals and learn more about a court environment with the Free Representation Unit
• get advocacy training and then put your skills into practice in front of tribunals through the Communities Empowerment Network
• work in courts helping vulnerable people through the Support through Court

Decision-making panels

You can volunteer to join decision-making panels such as:

• school exclusion panels
• parking and traffic penalties
• police conduct appeals
• professional bodies’ professional conduct panels

Or you could get involved in decision-making forums, for example:

• residents' associations
• parish councils
• local authorities

Public speaking skills

You can develop your public speaking skills through organisations such as the English Speaking Union.

Preparing your application

In this video, former Law Society president Lucy Scott Moncrieff, JAC selection exercise manager Carol Morgan and district judge Paul Middleton-Roy discuss:

• the range of judicial appointments available
• the selection process
• how to make a successful application

We run training workshops if you want to become a judge. They explain how to show that you meet the competency requirements for judicial roles. The workshops include:

• practical advice on how to complete the application form
• interview practice

Search for upcoming training days

Qualifying tests

 To get an idea of the type of questions and topics covered in assessments and qualifying tests, you may want to:

• read JAC feedback and evaluation reports
• read material used for past critical analysis tests, such as Lord Neuberger’s opening remarks for the Singapore panel on judicial ethics (August 2016)
• get to know the Civil Procedure Rules and Equal Treatment Bench Book.

Preparing for role plays or situational questions

You might be given some reading on the day, and/or a week or so in advance.

Make sure you:

• read the material thoroughly
• are ready to refer to key parts on the day 
• keep it handy to refer back to

Roles such as High Court judge may involve a lot of complex reading in advance, so leave time in your diary to prepare.

Handling situational questions and role plays

Keep the competencies or skills and abilities in mind as you answer.

For example, the panel will expect you to:

• give a clear decision or judgment with reasons, as evidence of exercising judgement
• refer to specific parts of the pre-reading, as evidence of assimilating and clarifying information
• communicate clearly and show sensitivity to any vulnerable parties, as evidence of working and communicating with others

Choosing examples for interview

The panel wants to hear your specific examples.

Listen to each question, think carefully and choose a relevant example to talk about.

For example, if you’re asked about a complex case, choose a situation that really was more difficult than the norm.

Avoid low-level and routine examples if you can.

It’s better to think about a situation that really tested you and where you clearly demonstrated your ability.

Examples where you did something wrong but reflected on it and learned from the experience can be just as evidence-rich as success stories.

Structuring your answers

Avoid lengthy background at the start of an example. One or two sentences is often enough.

The panel is most interested in hearing what you did, how you did it and why you did that.

Some candidates find the SOAR structure helpful (talk about the situation, the objective, your action, the result) but if you use this, focus mainly on the action.

Make sure you say “I” not “we”, as the panel needs to know what you personally did.