District Judge Pre-Application Seminar 2026
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) will be launching a selection exercise in May to recruit 70 District Judges (50 immediate and 20 future appointments).
The work of District Judges involves a wide spectrum of civil and family law cases such as claims for damages, possession proceedings, divorces, child proceedings, emergency applications for injunctions, committals and insolvency proceedings. Those appearing before District Judges range from King’s Counsel to litigants in person unable to read or write. This means the work that District Judges do has a significant, vital, and lasting impact on the lives of a large number of people, many of them disadvantaged and vulnerable.
The seminar
The Judicial Office is organising a pre-application seminar that will take place online via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 23rd April 2026 5-6:15pm.
The seminar aims to help applicants be better prepared to make an application and to receive up-to-date guidance and advice on the JAC’s selection process. As well as the JAC, you will also hear from leadership judges and current serving District Judges.
Who should attend?
Applications are particularly welcome from under-represented groups (women, ethnic minority candidates, disabled candidates, solicitors and Chartered Legal Executives).
Training is provided for all appointed.
For more information on the District Judge role please visit District judges - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
Case Studies
Check the links out below to see first hand what it’s like being a District Judge.
Click here to hear from District Judge Greenidge
Click here to hear from District Judge Worth
Further information
Here is a link to the JAC’s vacancy listing page.
Click here to sign up to alerts for this exercise.
For any queries regarding the recruitment campaign/selection exercise please contact the JAC selection exercise team DJ334@judicialappointments.gov.uk
For any queries regarding the pre-application seminar please email - JudicialHROutreachEvents@judiciary.uk
Although there will be a Q&A segment, you can also send any early questions that can be put to the panel. Please send early questions to judicialhroutreachevents@judiciary.uk and ensure that the subject title is “Question for DJ Panel”.
Please note that although the Judicial Office will be running the pre-application seminar, the actual recruitment campaign is being done and led by the Judicial Appointments Commission.
United Kingdom