District Judge
NIJAC is seeking to appoint one District Judge. A reserve list will also be maintained for 12 months from the anticipated date of the first swearing in (but no more than 15 months from the published anticipated appointment date - 1 April 2026).
Eligibility
To be eligible for appointment to the office of District Judge (Civil), Section 70 and Schedule 3 to the Judicature (NI) Act 1978 (as amended by Schedule 4 paragraph 15 to the Northern Ireland Act 2009), states that appointees must be persons who are either members of the Bar of Northern Ireland or solicitors of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland of at least seven years’ standing.
However, it is an established policy that all District Judges will also hold concurrently the post of deputy County Court judge. The effect of this concurrent appointment is that individuals must meet the deputy County Court judge requirement. Applicants therefore must be, by 1 April 2026 either:
• A member of the Bar of Northern Ireland of at least ten years’ standing; or
• A solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland of at least ten years’ standing.
Section 107 (1) of the Judicature (NI) Act 1978 provides for the aggregation of years’ standing for holding office of solicitors who have been barristers, and vice versa.
This judicial appointment is to a full time salaried and pensionable role.
The current full time salary is £139,469 per annum.
Closing date: 12 noon on Monday 15 December 2025.