Judges are public officials given authority to hear, determine, and preside over legal matters in courts. But getting there is a journey of its own. While becoming a judge is a very competitive process, it is achievable with certain qualifications and skills. This page guides you through the Judicial Appointments Commission, the selecting body for judicial roles, the responsibilities you’ll be given and salaries you should expect once you become a judge.
The UK judicial system is renowned for its fairness and impartiality, and becoming a judge is an incredibly rewarding career path. As well as the prestige of the role, becoming a judge also comes with job security, as once appointed, a judge can remain in office until the age of 70. Judges are also well-paid, with salaries ranging from £91,217 to £267,509 per year depending on experience and qualifications.
A judge is a public official with the authority to preside over and pass judgement on legal matters in UK courts. A UK judge can preside over a case alone or as part of a panel of judges.
The role of a judge is to listen to evidence provided by witnesses, barristers, and solicitors in Court, and to rule on cases based on their interpretation of the law and personal judgement. A judge is expected to conduct a trial impartially and to ensure that all Court proceedings are lawful and conducted in an orderly manner. Being a judge and making these kinds of decisions is an immense responsibility.
Once a trial starts, and as a Court case progresses, a judge will enforce Court procedure, and analyse and interpret evidence. Throughout a case a judge acts as an impartial mediator between the defendant, the claimant, and their representatives.
The profession of barrister in England and Wales is a separate profession from that of solicitor. It is, however, possible to hold the qualification of both barrister and solicitor , and/or chartered legal executive at the same time. It is not necessary to leave the bar to qualify as a solicitor.
By law, barristers are not able to provide some of the services that solicitors offer. On the other hand, some solicitors do not themselves provide advocacy services. At present only a solicitor may conduct litigation and take the formal steps that are necessary to progress and action.
If a case goes to court, it is unlikely that a solicitor will represent their client although certain solicitors can appear in court as advocates. Instead, a solicitor will generally refer the work to a barrister or specialist advocate for expert advice or to instruct them to appear in court to represent the client.
The Judicial Appointments Commission is working hard to encourage judicial applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. So to become a judge you must first have practised law – as a solicitor, barrister or legal executive – for a good few years.
If you want great legal advice and help in writing letters, negotiating a resolution or preparing for Court, then you need a solicitor. If you want to do all that yourself and just want someone for a High Court hearing (totally not recommended by the way!) then a Barrister is probably better for you.
The Judicial Appointments (Amendment) Order 2023 became law on the 28th June 2023. This amended other legislation to allow CILEX Fellows with seven years post qualifying experience to apply to be a Recorder, Upper Tribunal Judge or a Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge.
Prior to this amendment, CILEX Lawyers of five years post qualifying experience could apply for judicial positions but were limited to the following types:-
The Judicial Appointments Commission has already updated its website with the following
This option would allow a stepping stone to a more senior position. Personally if I wanted to become a member of the Judiciary (or a Judge at circuit level), I would want to start by siting as a Deputy District Judge.
That goes the same for any Solicitor or Barrister.
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