Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Deferred
Include evaluation of judicial recruitment offer in any County Court review, assessing pay and conditions.
Conclusion
Any review into the County Court must include an evaluation of its judicial recruitment offer. This has to consider pay and progression opportunities, an assessment of the current working conditions, and evaluate the regional recruitment initiatives. (Recommendation, Paragraph 65)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government stated it is developing an accessibility strategy for courts and tribunals services and investing over £1 million in lift replacement projects in 2025/26, but did not address the recommendation for a review of the County Court's judicial recruitment offer.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Accept in part. The Lord Chancellor commissioned the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) to undertake a Major Review of the judicial salary structure in December 2024. The Major Review is looking at the role of pay in supporting consistent recruitment across the judiciary, including the challenges affecting the salaried District Bench, as well as reviewing location-based allowances (such as London weighting) and how these might address regional recruitment shortfalls. The Lord Chancellor has asked the SSRB to deliver their report in November 2026. A review of the two regional District Judge recruitment exercises which launched in 2024 and 2025 (80 vacancies for London and the South East and 25 vacancies for other regions) will be undertaken concurrently, evaluating the impact of this approach on applications, shortlist and appointments taken up when they conclude in Spring 2026. This will assess whether regional recruitment with greater certainty of location and targeted outreach improve recruitment outcomes. We are considering the results of the 2024 Judicial Attitude Survey and the findings of the Ministry of Justice’s social research (Dr Turenne, Cambridge University) into motivations to apply for salaried office to inform our approach to future recruitment. We continue to invest in judicial recruitment and work closely with Judicial Office and the Judicial Appointments Commission to improve outcomes.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗