Guidance

Magistrate advisory committee recruitment information

You can now find details of vacancies in your area and apply online at the Volunteer to be a Magistrate website.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Apply online to be a magistrate

Details

Apply to become a magistrate online

Find out what magistrates are expected to do, what goes on inside court and apply online.

Find out if your local area is recruiting magistrates for the family and criminal magistrates’ courts and apply online.

You can complete an online application if there are current vacancies or register your interest for when applications open in the future.

Find out more about how to volunteer as a magistrate and decide if it’s the right opportunity for you.

Published 3 October 2013
Last updated 24 January 2022 + show all updates
  1. Removed document showing current vacancies for magistrates and changed details to link to the new online application process at https://magistrates.judiciary.uk/.

  2. Recruitment open: Derbyshire (Family); London (Criminal); Nottinghamshire (Family) Recruitment closed: Birmingham & Solihull (Criminal); Black Country (Criminal)

  3. Recruitment closed: Derbyshire (Family); Nottinghamshire (Family)

  4. Online applications to Cambridgeshire and Cumbria & Lancashire have now closed.

  5. Recruitment closed: Avon & Somerset & Gloucestershire (Criminal); Cumbria (Criminal); Devon, Cornwall and Dorset (Criminal); Lancashire (Criminal & Family); Leicestershire & Rutland (Family); Lincolnshire (Family); Northamptonshire, Leicestershire & Rutland (Family); Wiltshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight (Criminal).

  6. Recruitment closed: London (Criminal)

  7. Recruitment open: Black Country (Criminal); Birmingham & Solihull (Criminal); Derbyshire (Family); Nottinghamshire (Family). Recruitment closed: Staffordshire (Criminal); Wales - North Wales - Clwyd and Gwynedd, Dyfed Powys, Gwent, Mid & South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan (Criminal & Family); West Mercia - Herefordshire (Criminal) and Worcestershire (Criminal).

  8. Recruitment for Lancashire (Family) open until 31 October 2021

  9. Recruitment for Cumbria (Criminal) and Lancashire (Criminal) open until 19 October 2021. Recruitment for Lancashire (Family) open until 30 November 2021.

  10. Recruitment open: Leicestershire & Rutland (Family) Recruitment closed: Birmingham and Solihull (Criminal); Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (Criminal); Greater Manchester (Criminal)

  11. Recruitment open: Birmingham and Solihull (Criminal); Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (Criminal); Devon, Cornwall and Dorset (Criminal); Lincolnshire (Family); Northamptonshire, Leicestershire & Rutland (Family) Recruitment closed: Greater Manchester (Family)

  12. Recruitment opens for Avon & Somerset & Gloucestershire (Crime) 1 September 2021

  13. Adding links to recruitment document for online applications to vacancies for Cambridgeshire; West London; and Cumbria and Lancashire.

  14. Recruitment open: Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and West London (criminal court only) - online applications from 19 July 2021.

  15. Recruitment open: Avon & Somerset & Gloucestershire (Family); Cumbria (Criminal); Herefordshire (Criminal); Lancashire (Criminal & Family); Staffordshire (Criminal); Thames Valley (Criminal & Family); Wiltshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight (Criminal); Worcestershire (Criminal) Recruitment closed: Birmingham & Solihull, Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire (Criminal)

  16. Recruitment open: Birmingham & Solihull, Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire (Criminal). Recruitment closed: Cumbria (Criminal & Family); Derbyshire (Criminal); Herefordshire (Criminal); Nottinghamshire (Criminal); Shropshire (Criminal & Family); Staffordshire (Criminal); Worcestershire (Criminal)

  17. Recruitment closed: Leicestershire & Rutland (Criminal); Lincolnshire (Criminal); Northamptonshire (Criminal).

  18. Recruitment open: London (Criminal & Family)

  19. Recruitment closed: Avon & Somerset (Family); Devon & Cornwall and Dorset (Family); London (Family); Wiltshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Family)

  20. Recruitment open: Lincolnshire (Criminal from 1 April 2021)

  21. Recruitment open: Northamptonshire (Criminal from 1 April 2021); London (Family); Leicestershire & Rutland (Criminal from 1 April 2021); Greater Manchester (Family from 1 April 2021)

  22. Recruitment open: Thames Valley (Criminal & Family); Shropshire (Criminal & Family). Recruitment closed: Cheshire (Criminal); Lancashire (Criminal).

  23. Recruitment now open: Avon & Somerset (Family); Devon & Cornwall and Dorset (Family); Wiltshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Family)

  24. Recruitment open: Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington (Criminal & Family); Humber and South Yorkshire (Criminal & Family); London (Criminal); Yorkshire, North and West (Criminal & Family) Recruitment closed: Cheshire (Family); Merseyside (Criminal & Family)

  25. Cheshire (Criminal & Family) and Merseyside (Criminal & Family) are open for recruitment.

  26. Recruitment open: Derbyshire (Criminal); Herefordshire (Criminal); Nottinghamshire (Criminal); Staffordshire (Criminal); Worcestershire (Criminal). Recruitment closed: Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire (Criminal); Cheshire (Criminal & Family); Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington (Criminal & Family); Devon, Cornwall, Dorset (Criminal); Greater Manchester (Criminal & Family); Humber and South Yorkshire (Criminal & Family); London (Criminal); Merseyside (Criminal & Family); Wiltshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight (Criminal); Yorkshire, North and West (Criminal & Family).

  27. Recruitment closed: Black Country, Birmingham & Solihull, Coventry, Warwickshire (Criminal); Leicestershire & Rutland (Criminal); Lincolnshire (Criminal); Northamptonshire (Criminal).

  28. Recruitment now open: Wales (Criminal and Family)

  29. Recruitment open: Cheshire (Criminal & Family)

  30. Recruitment now open: Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire (Criminal); Black Country, Birmingham & Solihull, Coventry, Warwickshire (Criminal); Devon, Cornwall, Dorset (Criminal); Greater Manchester (Criminal & Family); Leicestershire & Rutland (Criminal); Lincolnshire (Criminal); London (Criminal); Merseyside (Criminal & Family); Northamptonshire (Criminal); Wiltshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight (Criminal) Recruitment closed: Derbyshire (Family); Nottingham (Family); Wales (Criminal & Family)

  31. Cumbria (Family) closing date for applications extended to 31 October 2020.

  32. Contact details have been updated for the Black Country, Birmingham and Solihull and Coventry and Warwickshire Advisory Committee – Crime bench.

  33. Recruitment now open: Derbyshire (Family); Greater Manchester (Criminal); Nottingham (Family).

  34. Recruitment closed: Merseyside (Criminal & Family); Staffordshire (Family).

  35. Staffordshire recruitment extended to 20 July 2020 by 12 noon.

  36. Updates to recruitment document: Areas open: Kent; Cambridgeshire & Essex; Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire; Norfolk and Suffolk and Surrey and Sussex. Merseyside – Criminal and Family. Recruitment open in Wales. Recruitment closed: West Mercia and Staffordshire (Family).

  37. Update to areas currently recruiting magistrates. Recruitment open: Cumbria (Criminal & Family)

  38. Update to areas currently recruiting magistrates. Recruitment now open: Cumbria (Criminal); Northumbria (Criminal and Family); West Mercia and Staffordshire (Family). Recruitment now closed: Birmingham, Solihull, Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire (Family).

  39. Update to areas currently recruiting magistrates. Recruitment now open: Birmingham, Solihull, Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire (Family); Merseyside (Criminal & Family). Recruitment now closed: Avon & Somerset and Gloucestershire (Family); Cumbria (Criminal); Greater Manchester (Criminal & Family); Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire (Family); North & South Northumbria (Criminal & Family).

  40. Update to recruitment document and list of areas with vacancies

  41. Update to recruitment document

  42. Update to recruitment document and current vacancies

  43. Update to recruitment document

  44. Update to recruitment

  45. Update to recruitment document

  46. Update to recruitment document

  47. Update to recruitment document

  48. Update to recruitment document

  49. Update to recruitment document

  50. Update to recruitment document

  51. Update to recruitment document

  52. Update to recruitment document

  53. Recruitment dates for North & South Northumbria (Adult Criminal)

  54. Updates to recruitment document

  55. Updates to recruitment document

  56. Update to recruitment document

  57. Updates to recruitment document

  58. Update to recruitment document

  59. Adding vacancies for Wiltshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Family)

  60. Update to recruitment document

  61. New recruitment document published - June 2019

  62. Update to recruitment document

  63. Recruitment by SE Committees added

  64. Updates to recruitment document

  65. Updates to recruitment document

  66. Update to recruitment document

  67. Update to recruitment document

  68. Update to recruitment document

  69. Update to recruitment document

  70. Update to recruitment

  71. Update to recruitment document

  72. Update to recruitment document

  73. Update to recruitment document

  74. Update to recruitment document

  75. Regular updates

  76. Update to recruitment document

  77. Update to recruitment document

  78. New vacancies added

  79. Closed recruitment campaigns and added on new vacancies

  80. Regular updates

  81. Extend closing dates for Hertforshire and Bedfordshire

  82. Amended closing date

  83. New vacancies added

  84. Vacancies updated

  85. New vacancies added

  86. Coventry & Warwickshire does not currently have vacancies

  87. New vacancies added, old recruitment campaigns removed.

  88. New vacancies added.

  89. New vacancies added

  90. Change to recruitment dates in Wales.

  91. New vacancies added

  92. Vacancy details updated.

  93. Number of vacancies ammended for Coventry & Warwickshire

  94. New vacancies added

  95. new vacancies added and old campaigns closed.

  96. new vacancies added

  97. updated vacancies

  98. new vacancies added

  99. New vacancies added

  100. New vacancies added

  101. New vacancies added

  102. Vacancy details updated.

  103. New vacancy details added.

  104. Vacancy information updated for magistrates

  105. updated vacancies and recruitment information.

  106. New Magistrate vacancies added.

  107. Magistrate vacancies updated.

  108. Magistrates vacancy information updated.

  109. New magistrate vacancies added for London local justice areas.

  110. Magistrates recruitment document updated to include new vacancies.

  111. updated magistrates recruitment information

  112. Magistrates Recruitment information updated.

  113. Regular update to file attachment

  114. Regular update to file attachment

  115. Recruitment document updated

  116. Recruitment document updated

  117. Regular update

  118. Regular update

  119. Regular update

  120. Regular update

  121. Regular update

  122. Regular update

  123. Regular update

  124. Regular update

  125. Regular update

  126. Regular update

  127. Regular update

  128. Minor change

  129. Regular update

  130. Regular update

  131. Regular update

  132. Regular update

  133. Regular update

  134. Regular update

  135. Update to document

  136. Regular update

  137. Minor update

  138. Update

  139. Update

  140. Update

  141. Update

  142. Update

  143. Regular update

  144. Regular update

  145. Regular update

  146. Regular update

  147. Minor update

  148. Regular update

  149. Regular update

  150. Minor update

  151. Regular update

  152. Regular update

  153. Regular update

  154. Regular update

  155. Regular update

  156. Regular update

  157. Regular update

  158. Regular update

  159. Regular update

  160. Routine update

  161. Minor update

  162. Routine update

  163. Routine update

  164. February update

  165. Routine update

  166. January 2015 update

  167. December 2014 update

  168. November update

  169. September update

  170. September update

  171. July 2014 update

  172. Updated recruitment information

  173. First published.