Closed consultation

Reform of Local Justice Areas

From:
Ministry of Justice and Judicial Office
Published
31 March 2025
Last updated
16 April 2025 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

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Summary

This public consultation seeks views on proposals to replace the current organisation of magistrates’ courts following the abolition of Local Justice Areas. 

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

Update September 2025:

This consultation closed on 23 June 2025 and received over 1,400 responses. Due to the large volume of feedback received, analysis is still ongoing. A final joint response from the government and judiciary will be published in due course.

The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 legislated to abolish the system of Local Justice Areas (LJAs) to facilitate greater efficiency in the administration and operation of magistrates’ courts. This consultation, developed jointly between HMG and Judicial Office, sets out proposals for a new structure following LJA abolition. It also seeks views on proposed changes to magistrates’ training and leadership arrangements which are currently organised around LJAs. 

This consultation is primarily aimed at magistrates in England and Wales who will be impacted by these proposals, but we also welcome views from other individuals or groups with a particular interest in the magistracy as well as from members of the public more broadly.

Documents

Reform of Local Justice Areas consultation

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-5500-2, CP 1286

HTML

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Reform of Local Justice Areas consultation

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-5500-2, CP 1286

PDF, 2.23 MB, 89 pages

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Equalities Statement

PDF, 427 KB, 28 pages

Reform of Local Justice Areas consultation (large print version)

PDF, 2.59 MB, 188 pages

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Reform of Local Justice Areas consultation (Welsh version)

PDF, 2.08 MB, 94 pages

Updates to this page

Published 31 March 2025
Last updated 16 April 2025 show all updates

  1. Updated equalities statement.

  2. First published.

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