Latest news
12 March 2010
Tribunals Service publishes 2010/11 business plan
The 2010-11 business plan, published today, sets out a number of priorities for the year ahead
- View the full Tribunals Service Press Notice
(Adobe PDF file size 234kb) - View the Tribunals Service business plan for 2010/11 (Adobe PDF file size 873kb)
04 March 2010
High Court Judge - now open for applications
From today the JAC are inviting applications for the position of High Court Judge. As ever, we appreciate your support in circulating this email to your members and other interested parties.
- High Court Judge
- Salary: £172,753
- Reference: 00467
- Website: www.judicialappointments.gov.uk
How are High Court Judges appointed? - On merit.
The Judicial Appointments Commission is inviting applications for appointment as a High Court Judge. There will be eight vacancies in the Queen's Bench Division and two in the Family Division from October 2010.
All successful candidates will be guaranteed an offer of appointment.
The closing date for receipt of applications is noon on 25 March 2010.
25 February 2010
Judicial Appointments Commission launch two exercises today in Patent, Trademark and Copyright
The Judicial Appointments Commission is inviting applications for two high profile posts in patent, trademark and copyright. Candidates may apply for and hold both posts.
- Chairman of the Copyright Tribunal
- Fee: £700 per day
- Reference: 00470
- Website: www.judicialappointments.gov.uk
This is a specialist fee paid post, hearing cases concerning the terms and conditions of copyright licences, sitting for up to 25 days per year.
Hearings normally take place in London but may take place in other locations including Scotland.
Applications from ITMA and CIPA members are also welcome.
- Specialist Circuit Judge - Judge of the Patents County Court
- Fee: £138,548
- Reference: 00471
- Website: www.judicialappointments.gov.uk
This post presides over specialist cases in the fields of patent, trademark and other intellectual property and involves the full duties of a circuit judge.
Part-time working is available.
The post is based in London but may require sitting elsewhere.
24 February 2010
Senior President of Tribunals publishes Annual Report
The Senior President of Tribunals publishes his first annual report drawing together the tribunals reform story so far.
- Senior President of Tribunals publishes Annual Report (Adobe PDF file size 876kb)
- Statistical Annex to the Senior President's Report (Adobe PDF file size 6kb)
15 February 2010
Immigration Tribunal joins new tribunal structure
The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) moves into the new two-tier Tribunals Service structure
- View the full TS Press Notice (Adobe PDF file size 238kb)
05 February 2010
Fee Paid Employment Judge, Employment Tribunal
The Judicial Appointments Commission is inviting applications for appointment as a fee paid Judge of the Employment Tribunal.
There are 51 positions available across England and Wales. Successful candidates will be expected to sit for a minimum of 30 days a year.
You will deal with disputes between employers and employees, including unfair dismissal, breach of contract, unlawful deductions and public interest disclosure.
You will be supported in the role by a comprehensive training programme, and benefit from a salaried Employment Judge as your mentor.
- Fee: £452 per day
- Reference: 00441
- Website: www.judicialappointments.gov.uk
- The closing date for applications is noon on 25 February 2010.
Example role-play film for candidates now online
From today you can see an online example of a role-play exercise of the type you might face during our selection exercises for some posts such as Recorder or Deputy District Judge.
Candidates who don't spend their working lives in court say it has helped to spend time watching or workshadowing a judge. This film is another tool to help demystify the process and help you to prepare.
The "candidate" in this example is played by an actor, in the role of a Recorder sitting at the fictitious Boltchester County Court in November 2008. Professional actors play the other main roles, as they will do in a real selection exercise.
To view the film, and for full details of how the role play is used as part of our assessment, visit our website using the link below.
- Website: www.judicialappointments.gov.uk
February 2009
2008-09 Customer Satisfaction survey pre-announcement note of the full publication of 2008-09 results and changes to the methodology for 2009-10
The Tribunals Service Customer Satisfaction Survey was first introduced as a pilot between October and December 2007, interviewing those people who had attended a hearing. The aim of the survey was to provide some information on the quality of our administrative service they received and for them to provide details of their expectations.
- View the full publication (Adobe PDF file size 17kb)
Tribunals Service Customer Satisfaction Survey
To allow us to gauge and monitor levels of customer satisfaction with the administration of Tribunal cases, FDS International Ltd have been contracted to conduct a Customer Satisfaction Survey on behalf of the Tribunals Service. The results of the survey will be important in informing and shaping the development of our policies and indeed the organisation.
The survey will focus on the administration of cases, not the outcome of their case nor the decision of the judiciary. The survey, which began in 2007, will be carried out at intervals until April 2010. The results will, in the first instance, allow us to develop a Key Performance Indicator for customer satisfaction and thereafter monitor performance against that indicator.
Customers who are contacted by FDS about this survey should be assured that under the Data Protection Act 1998, the Tribunals Service has put in place an agreement with FDS which allows them to process our data and write to customers on our behalf.
Eileen Grady, Customer Insight Manager, acts for the Tribunals Service in the management of this survey.
18 January 2010
Tribunal reforms continue with further transfers
Today heralds the start of the next chapter in the Tribunals Service’s ambitious programme of reform.
- View the full TS Press Notice (Adobe PDF file size 239kb)
Bridget Prentice opens new tribunal office
Justice Minister Bridget Prentice unveiled the new East London Tribunals Service hearing centre on Thursday 14 January.
- View the full TS Press Notice (Adobe PDF file size 234kb)
13 January 2010
Judicial Appointments Commission - exercise programme 2010-11
We are pleased to be able to announce we now have an agreed selection exercise programme for 2010-11. We appreciate your continued help and support in alerting your members and other interested parties to the judicial opportunities available. The full programme can be found on our website (details below), along with our popular vacancy alert system, which emails subscribers with important updates and details of when a particular selection exercise launches.
- Website: www.judicialappointments.gov.uk
As you know the selection exercise programme is agreed with the Ministry of Justice every year and comprises the essential selection exercises needed to fill judicial vacancies forecast by Her Majesty's Court Service, Tribunals Service and other tribunals. We work closely with MoJ, HMCS and the TS to respond to their emerging requirements during the year, recognising that some changes during the year are inevitable as forecasting can not be an exact science. There were several significant changes in-year this year and I expect next year will be the same so please do remember to check our website regularly for updates.
The programme for the remainder of 2009-10 is also on our website. The full list of forthcoming exercises is as follows:
Courts
- Senior Circuit Judge - one Chancery Specialist Judge; two Designated Civil Judges
- Expected to launch: January 2010
- Number of vacancies: 3
- Fee Paid Employment Judge, Employment Tribunal
- Expected to launch: February 2010
- Number of vacancies: 51
- High Court Judge
- Expected to launch: March 2010
- Number of vacancies: 12
- Circuit Judge
- Expected to launch: April 2010
- Number of vacancies: 45
- Senior Circuit Judge
- Expected to launch: November 2010
- Number of vacancies: 12
- District Judge (Civil)
- Expected to launch: January 2011
- Number of vacancies: 79
- Recorder
- Expected to launch: March 2011
- Number of vacancies: 156
- District Judge (Magistrates Courts)
- Expected to launch: July 2010
- Number of vacancies: 20
Tribunals
- Fee Paid Specialist Member of the First-tier Tribunal, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (Special Educational Needs and Disability)
- Expected to launch: April 2010
- Number of vacancies: 30
- Chamber President of the Immigration and Asylum, Tax, and General Regulatory Chambers of the First-tier Tribunal
- Expected to Launch: May 2010
- Number of vacancies: 3
- Regional Employment Judge of the Employment Tribunals
- Expected to launch: July 2010
- Number of vacancies: 2
- Fee Paid Immigration Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber
- Expected to launch: September 2010
- Number of vacancies: 50
- Lawyer Chairman of the Residential Property Tribunal Service
- Expected to launch: September 2010
- Number of vacancies: 39
- Fee Paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Social Entitlement Chamber
- Expected to launch: November 2010
- Number of vacancies: 28
- Salaried/Deputy Judges of the Upper Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber
- Expected to launch: January 2011
- Number of vacancies: 4
- Salaried Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Social Entitlement Chamber
- Expected to launch: March 2011
- Number of vacancies: 12
11 January 2010
Tribunals Service, Key Performance Indicator for Customer Satisfaction: announcement on satisfaction target for 2009-10
Changes to the methodology used for measuring customer satisfaction in the Tribunals Service were announced on 11 December 2009.
The target for customer satisfaction for 2009-10 has also been examined to ensure that it is achievable, yet stretching and takes account of the increased workloads of the Tribunals Service. Using the new methodology, the target for 2009-10 will remain at 72%, which is realistic and challenges the Tribunals Service to maintain current performance in a climate of increasing workloads.
