Judicial Studies Board

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Established in 1979, the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) is the organisation responsible for training judges in Crown, county and higher courts in England and Wales. This includes the training of lay magistrates and chairmen and members of tribunals. The current Chairman is Lord Justice Keene, and he is to be succeeded in July 2007 by Lord Justice Maurice Kay.

An essential element of the philosophy of the JSB is that the training of judges and magistrates is under judicial control and directions. A Circuit Judge, currently Judge John Phillips CBE, is seconded to the JSB full-time as Director of Studies.

The JSB has five objectives:

Objective 1:

To provide high quality training to full- and part-time judges in the exercise of their jurisdiction in Civil, Criminal and Family Law.

Objective 2:

To advise the Lord Chancellor on the policy for and content of training for lay magistrates, and on the efficiency and effectiveness with which Magistrates' Courts Committees deliver such training.

Objective 3:

To advise the Lord Chancellor and Government Departments on the appropriate standards for, and content of, training for judicial officers in Tribunals.

Objective 4:

To advise the Government on the training requirement of judges, magistrates, and judicial officers in Tribunals if proposed changes to the law, procedure and court organisation are to be effective, and to provide, and advise on the content of, such training.

Objective 5:

To promote closer international co-operation over judicial training.