The seminar
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is launching a selection exercise in July 2023 to recruit circuit judges.
A seminar is taking place online via Microsoft Teams on Monday 10 July 2023 from 5pm – 6pm for those interested in applying for appointment as a circuit judge.
The seminar aims to help attendees be better prepared to make an application and provides guidance and advice on the JAC’s selection process. The panel will include two circuit judges and a representative from the JAC.
Who should attend?
Candidates 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.
Applications are particularly encouraged from women, ethnic minority lawyers, disabled lawyers and solicitors who are currently underrepresented within the judiciary.
Please note that 7 years’ legal post qualification experience is needed for those seeking appointment to the role through the JAC’s selection exercise.
Overview of the role
Circuit judges sit in the Crown, County Courts and Family Courts. It is the responsibility of the judge to exercise control over proceedings, both during the pre-trial stage and when presiding over the trial itself, ensuring the proceedings are conducted efficiently and fairly.
Judges sitting in the civil jurisdiction are expected to deal with the whole range of civil cases in the County Court, including personal injury and clinical negligence claims, consumer credit and other cases involving personal debt, and housing and possession disputes, often involving actions by mortgage lenders or landlords.
Judges sitting in the crime jurisdiction are expected to deal with a broad range of criminal cases in the Crown Court. When presiding over a trial, a judge must balance the right of the defendant to a fair trial with the interests of the victims and witnesses. The judge must maintain order in the courtroom, and ensure the case is presented to the jury in a comprehensible fashion. The judge will also be required to pass sentence in the event of a guilty plea or conviction by the jury.
In the family jurisdiction, judges deal with a broad range of cases including those relating to financial relief, private children’s cases and public children’s cases. Following a contested family hearing it will be necessary to deliver a reasoned judgment, often extempore, making appropriate findings of fact and applying the law in a way which makes clear to the parties why the court has reached its decision. Family cases can involve high emotions which must be effectively managed by the judge.
Register
Please register for this seminar at: Circuit Judge Application Seminar
If you have any queries regarding the seminar or would like to ask a question to the panel, please email: JudicialHRDiversityEvents@judiciary.uk
