The Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committees (AC) on Justices of the Peace are advisory non-departmental public bodies which carry out functions on behalf of the Lord Chancellor. The Recruitment Advisory Committees, along with other key functions are to recruit and recommend to the Senior Presiding Judge (Exercising functions on behalf of the Lord Chief Justice) candidates for appointment to the magistrates. A full list of functions and the role of Advisory Committees can be found in Part one of the Lord Chancellor’s Directions.
All information regarding AC recruitment opening times for Criminal and Family courts is available in the below tables. Please note that these are subject to change.
The recruitment plan is broken down by region and area, please visit the table for your region to find out more about the recruitment plan in your area:
London
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
| London | 13 April to 11 May 2026 (North, North East, and East London only) 13 July to 10 August 2026 (Central, West, and North West London only) 12 October to 9 November 2026 (South West, South, and South East London only) 11 January to 8 February 2027 (London-wide) | TBC for 2026 |
Midlands
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham & Solihull, Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire | 1 to 28 May 2026 5 to 26 November 2026 | 3 to 27 August 2026 4 to 28 January 2027 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 1 to 25 June 2026 1 to 29 October 2026 | 1 to 31 December 2026 |
| Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire | 1 to 25 June 2026 1 to 29 October 2026 | 1 to 31 December 2026 |
| Staffordshire and West Mercia | 1 to 28 May 2026 4 to 28 January 2027 | 2 to 26 November 2026 (Shropshire only) |
North East
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington | TBC | TBC |
| Humber and South Yorkshire | TBC | TBC |
| North and West Yorkshire | TBC | TBC |
| Northumbria | TBC | TBC |
North West
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cheshire | 1 to 15 June 2026 1 to 15 September 2026 | TBC |
| South Cumbria | 1 to 15 May 2026 3 to 17 August 2026 | No planned recruitment for 2026 |
| North & West Cumbria | 1 to 15 May 2026 3 to 17 August 2026 | No planned recruitment for 2026 |
| Lancashire | 1 to 15 May 2026 3 to 17 August 2026 | No planned recruitment for 2026 |
| Greater Manchester | 1 to 15 July 2026 1 to 15 October 2026 | No planned recruitment for 2026 |
| Merseyside | 1 to 15 June 2026 1 to 15 September 2026 | 1 to 15 June 2026 1 to 15 September 2026 |
South East
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | TBC | TBC |
| Cambridgeshire and Essex | TBC | TBC |
| Kent | TBC | TBC |
| Norfolk and Suffolk | TBC | TBC |
| Surrey and Sussex | TBC | TBC |
| Thames Valley | No planned recruitment for 2026 | No planned recruitment for 2026 |
South West
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire | 14 to 21 August 2026 | 14 to 21 August 2026 |
| Devon, Cornwall and Dorset | 14 to 21 August 2026 | 14 to 21 August 2026 |
| Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Wiltshire | 14 to 21 August 2026 | 14 to 21 August 2026 |
Wales
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| North Wales | 2 to 30 March 2026 1 to 25 September 2026 | TBC |
| South Wales | 2 to 30 March 2026 1 to 25 September 2026 | TBC |
Mae’r holl wybodaeth am amserlen recriwtio y Llysoedd Troseddol a’r Llysoedd Teulu yng Nghymru ar gael yn y tabl isod. Sylwch y gall hyn newid.
Cymru
| Ardal Pwyllgor Ymgynghorol | Troseddol: Dyddiadau recriwtio | Teulu: Dyddiadau recriwtio |
|---|---|---|
| Gogledd Cymru | 2 i 30 Mawrth 2026 1 i 25 Medi 2026 | TBC |
| De Cymru | 2 i 30 Mawrth 2026 1 i 25 Medi 2026 | TBC |