Judicial College Strategy 2021-25 launched

The new Judicial College Strategy has been published today (9 December 2021).

The Strategy sets out the ambitions for the College over the next four years and how training will support wider judicial aims.

The College is dedicated to supporting judicial office holders through high quality training, resources and publications.

The objectives highlighted in the strategy align with the overarching aim of the College, namely, to be a world leader in judicial education.

The Strategy has six objectives:

  1. Playing our part in ensuring the judiciary has the right skills and knowledge
  2. Meeting the future needs of the Magistracy
  3. Preparing for innovation and change
  4. Effective leadership
  5. Contributing to a transparent and outward facing judiciary
  6. High quality support for modern training

In launching the Strategy, Lady Justice Eleanor King, Chair of the Judicial College, said: “I am delighted to publish the Judicial College’s Strategy for 2021-2025.

“I am proud of the way in which the Judicial College has responded to the change demanded by the pandemic. In looking to the future, we recognise the important role training can play in preparing judges for changes to the context in which the judiciary operates.

“Our training aims to help ensure that those in judicial roles can continue to excel and support the delivery of justice. We have therefore considered and reflected wider judicial strategies and ambitions, as well as social and educational trends, to ensure that the College is at the forefront of innovation, leading by example in how training is designed and delivered.”

Lord Burnett of Maldon, Lord Chief Justice, said: “High quality training is a key foundation of the judiciary. This Strategy builds upon the College’s previous successes and will ensure that judicial office holders are well-equipped to face future demands.”

The College has delivered several important achievements since the publication of the 2018-2020 Strategy, notably the radical transition from face-to-face learning to digital training in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 to ensure training could continue, the expansion of cross-jurisdictional training and the implementation of administrative support for Tribunals training.

The new Strategy builds on the progress that the College has made. It proposes ambitious objectives to reflect the challenges and opportunities that the College faces, including supporting wider justice system recovery, and broader transformative societal and technological changes. Notable aspects of the strategy include the ongoing commitment to supporting a diverse and inclusive judiciary through judgecraft, leadership and wellbeing support, preparing for innovation in the way justice is administered and work to meet the future needs of the Magistracy.

The overarching vision is for the College to continue to be a world leader in judicial education, aiming to provide the highest quality training for judicial office holders and support the senior judiciary in preparing for the justice system of the future. Progress made in delivering the Strategy will be reported in the College’s annual activity reports which are published online.