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 to 25 December 2025 | 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 | No planned recruitment before September 2025 | No planned recruitment before September 2025 |
| Humber and South Yorkshire | No planned recruitment before September 2025 | No planned recruitment before September 2025 |
| North and West Yorkshire | Ongoing (West Yorkshire only) | No planned recruitment before 2026 |
| Northumbria | No planned recruitment before September 2025 | No planned recruitment before September 2025 |
North West
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cheshire | 30 June to 13 July 2025 | No planned recruitment for 2025 |
| South Cumbria | No planned recruitment for 2025 | No planned recruitment for 2025 |
| North & West Cumbria | 3 to 17 February 2025 | No planned recruitment for 2025 |
| Lancashire | November 2025 | November 2025 |
| Greater Manchester | April 2025 | No planned recruitment for 2025 |
| Merseyside | September 2025 | September 2025 |
| Cumbria | February 2025 | TBC |
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 | 14 to 17 November 2025 (South Essex) 15 to 19 January 2026 (North Essex) 5 to 9 March 2026 (Cambridgeshire) | 16 January to 2 February 2026 (Essex) 5 to 9 March 2026 (Cambridgeshire) |
| Kent | 21 to 24 November 2025 (East Kent, North Kent, and Central Kent) | 21 to 24 November 2025 |
| 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 |
| Thames Valley | No planned recruitment for Oxfordshire (Oxon) in 2025 | TBC |
South West
| AC Area | Criminal: Recruitment dates | Family: Recruitment dates |
|---|---|---|
| Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire | September to October 2025 | May 2025 |
| Devon, Cornwall and Dorset | September to October 2025 | May 2025 |
| Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Wiltshire | September to October 2025 | May 2025 |
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 |