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 | 12 January to 2 February 2026 | No further recruitment for 2025. TBC for 2026. |
Midlands
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham & Solihull, Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire | 10 November to 8 December 2025 | TBC for 2026 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 1 December 2025 to 8 January 2026 | TBC for 2026 |
| Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire | 1 to 29 January 2026 | TBC for 2026 |
| Staffordshire and West Mercia | TBC for 2026 | TBC for 2026 |
North East
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington | TBC | TBC |
| Humber and South Yorkshire | Planned recruitment for January 2026 (South Yorkshire) | TBC |
| North and West Yorkshire | Ongoing (West Yorkshire) | TBC |
| Northumbria | Planned recruitment for January 2026 | TBC |
North West
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cheshire | 2 to 16 March 2026 1 to 15 June 2026 1 to 15 September 2026 | 2 to 16 March 2026 1 to 15 June 2026 |
| South Cumbria | 2 to 16 February 2026 1 to 15 May 2026 3 to 17 August 2026 | No planned recruitment for 2026 |
| North & West Cumbria | 2 to 16 February 2026 1 to 15 May 2026 3 to 17 August 2026 | No planned recruitment for 2026 |
| Lancashire | 2 to 16 February 2026 1 to 15 May 2026 3 to 17 August 2026 | 2 to 16 February 2026 1 to 15 May 2026 3 to 17 August 2026 |
| Greater Manchester | 2 to 16 January 2026 1 to 15 April 2026 1 to 15 July 2026 1 to 15 October 2026 | 2 to 16 January 2026 1 to 15 July 2026 |
| Merseyside | 1 to 15 December 2025 2 to 16 March 2026 1 to 15 June 2026 1 to 15 September 2026 | 1 to 15 December 2025 2 to 16 March 2026 1 to 15 June 2026 1 to 15 September 2026 |
South East
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 15 to 19 January 2026 (Bedfordshire, North East Hertfordshire, and West Central Hertfordshire) | 22 to 26 January 2026 |
| Cambridgeshire and Essex | 15 to 19 January 2026 (North Essex) 5 to 9 March 2026 (Cambridgeshire) 6 to 16 March 2026 (South Essex) | 16 January to 2 February 2026 (Essex) 5 to 9 March 2026 (Cambridgeshire) |
| Kent | TBC | TBC |
| Norfolk and Suffolk | 16 to 19 January 2026 (Norfolk) 16 January to 2 February 2026 (Suffolk) | 5 to 9 March 2026 |
| Surrey and Sussex | 5 to 9 March 2026 (Sussex Eastern and Sussex Central) | 5 to 9 March 2026 (Surrey) |
| 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 | 13 to 27 February 2026 15 to 29 May 2026 14 to 28 August 2026 | 13 to 27 February 2026 15 to 29 May 2026 14 28 August 2026 |
| Devon, Cornwall and Dorset | 13 to 27 February 2026 15 to 29 May 2026 14 to 28 August 2026 | 13 to 27 February 2026 15 to 29 May 2026 14 28 August 2026 |
| Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Wiltshire | 13 to 27 February 2026 15 to 29 May 2026 14 to 28 August 2026 | 13 to 27 February 2026 15 to 29 May 2026 14 28 August 2026 |
Wales
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| North Wales | 2 to 30 March 2026 1 to 25 September 2026 | 2 to 16 March 2026 |
| South Wales | 2 to 30 March 2026 1 to 25 September 2026 | 2 to 16 March 2026 |
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 | 2 i 16 Mawrth 2026 |
| De Cymru | 2 i 30 Mawrth 2026 1 i 25 Medi 2026 | 2 i 16 Mawrth 2026 |