Useful links

The Judicial Communications Office is not responsible for the contents or reliability of linked websites. The inclusion of a link from this website does not indicate a recommendation or endorsement of any kind.

ACAS
Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) aims to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations. We provide up-to-date information, independent advice, high quality training and we work with employers and employees to solve problems and improve performance.

BAILII website
The British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII) provides access to the most comprehensive set of British and Irish primary legal materials that are available for free and in one place on the internet. As at October 2004, BAILII includes 46 databases covering 7 jurisdictions. The system contains around 7.5 gigabytes of legal materials and around 400,000 searchable documents with about 15 million internal hypertext links.

Bar Council
These pages give details of the structure and role of the Council, the Bar Standards Board and their Committees, the dates of Bar Council and Bar Standards Board meetings and how to contact the Council.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
CAFCASS looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings. It works with children and their families, and then advises the courts on what it considers to be in the children's best interests.

Citizen's Advice Bureau
The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free information and advice from nearly 3,400 locations, and by influencing policymakers.

Civil Justice Council
The Council is an advisory body put in place by law to monitor the civil justice system, and to promote its modernisation.  We provide a representative voice for all those who either work in, or have cause to experience, civil justice. We are here to safeguard the future of civil justice and to ensure that it is fair, accessible, and efficient.

Civil Procedure Rules
The Civil Procedure Rules are a procedural code with the overriding objective of enabling the courts to deal with cases justly.

Constitutional Reform Act
The Act addresses confirms the Lord Chief Justice as President of the Courts fo England and Wales, as well as providing for a new Supreme Court, and a number of other important constitutional changes.

Council on Tribunals
The Council on Tribunals supervises the constitution and working of tribunals and inquiries in England, Scotland and Wales, seeking to ensure they are open, fair and impartial.

Criminal Justice System Online
If you have come into contact with the criminal justice system as a victim of crime, a witness, juror or you have been accused or convicted of a crime then this site can help. 

The Department for Education and Skills
The Department for Education and Skills now holds information on child protection, families, children’s welfare, the legal framework, as well as relevant information and resources.

European Court of Human Rights
In addition to laying down a catalogue of civil and political rights and freedoms, the European Convention on Human Rights set up a mechanism for the enforcement of the obligations entered into by Contracting States. Three institutions were entrusted with this responsibility: the European Commission of Human Rights (set up in 1954), the European Court of Human Rights (set up in 1959) and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the latter organ being composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member States or their representatives.

European Court of Justice
The Court of Justice cooperates with all the courts of the Member States, which are the ordinary courts in matters of Community law. To ensure the effective and uniform application of Community legislation and to prevent divergent interpretations, the national courts may, and sometimes must, refer to the Court of Justice and ask it to clarify a point concerning the interpretation of Community law, so that they may ascertain, for example, whether their national legislation complies with that law. A reference for a preliminary ruling may also seek the review of the validity of an act of Community law.

European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters
It contains a large quantity of information about the Member States, Community law, European law and various aspects of civil and commercial law. 

European Network of Councils for the Judiciary
The ENCJ was formally established in 2004 and consists of national institutions in the member states of the European Union which are independent of the executive and legislature, and which are responsible for the support of the Judiciaries in the independent delivery of justice.

Family Justice Council
The Council's primary role is to promote an inter-disciplinary approach to the needs of family justice, and through consultation and research, to monitor the effectiveness of the system and advise on reforms necessary for continuous improvement.

Family Procedure Rules
The family procedure rules will be a single set of rules for all family proceedings in the High Court, County courts and Magistrates' courts. They will replace the separate rules that currently exist for family proceedings in the different levels of court and will broadly mirror the approach taken for the civil procedure rules.

Her Majesty's Courts Service
Her Majesty's Courts Service's purpose is to deliver justice efficiently and effectively. We administer the civil, family and criminal courts in England and Wales. This covers Crown, county and magistrates' courts.

Her Majesty's Courts Service - Practice Directions
Practice Directions support relevant rules. In particular they set out procedures that mean to achieve uniformity in practice. In addition they tell parties what the courts expect of them and what the parties can expect of the courts if they for example do not comply with the courts' directions.

Home Office
The Home Office is the government department responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales. We work to build a safe, just and tolerant society, to enhance opportunities for all, and to ensure the protection and security of the public is maintained.

Judicial Appointment and Conduct Ombudsman website.
The Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman investigates complaints about the judicial appointments process and the handling of matters involving judicial discipline or conduct. There are two distinct aspects to his work: to seek redress in the event of maladministration. 'Maladministration' includes (among other things) delay, rudeness, bias, faulty procedures, offering misleading advice, refusal to answer questions and unfair treatment; and, through recommendations and constructive feedback, to improve standards and practices in the authorities or departments concerned. 

Judicial Appointments Commission
The Commission selects candidates for judicial office on merit. They do this independently of government through fair and open competition and by encouraging a wide range of applicants.  By selecting candidates using the principles of openness, fairness and merit, the Commission contributes to an effective and impartial judiciary. 

Judicial Studies Board
The JSB is directly responsible for training salaried and fee-paid judges in England and Wales, and for overseeing the training of magistrates and chairmen and members of Tribunals. An essential element of the philosophy of the JSB is that the training of judges and magistrates is under judicial control and directions.

Justices’ Clerks’ Society
It is a professional body representing the principal legal advisers to lay magistrates in England and Wales and is committed to improving the quality of justice in Magistrates' Courts.

Law Commission
The Law Commission is the statutory independent body created by the Law Commissions Act 1965 to keep the law under review and to recommend reform where it's needed.

Law Commission Forum
Welcome to the online consultation forum for the Law Commission's Tenth Programme of Law Reform.

Law Society
The Law Society is the regulatory and representative body for 116,000 solicitors in England and Wales. It has important public responsibilities: Regulating and setting standards for solicitors to make sure they deliver a good and ethical service to consumers; representing solicitors; and supporting solicitors to help them achieve the standards expected of them, and deliver good service;  and, influencing law reform to achieve a better system of justice.

Magistrates Association
The Magistrates' Association is a membership organisation with over 28,000 members, and it represents over 80% of serving magistrates.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for the courts, sentencing, prisons, rehabilitation plus former DCA policies like voting, crown dependencies, human rights, tribunals and freedom of information.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) - Magistrates Appointments
Under 'Become a magistrate', you can also find information on the role of magistrates (or Justices of the Peace as they are also known); on the selection, application and appointment process for magistrates; and, for employers of would-be magistrates.

Office of the Judicial Complaints website
The Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) supports the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice in their joint responsibility for the system of judicial complaints and discipline.  They seek to ensure that all judicial disciplinary issues are dealt with consistently, fairly and efficiently.

Sentencing Guidelines Council
This website represents the work of two closely-related independent bodies: the Sentencing Advisory Panel and the Sentencing Guidelines Council. They work together to ensure that sentencing guidelines are produced which: Encourage consistency in sentencing throughout the courts of England and Wales; and support sentencers in their decision making.

Statute Law Database
A free, official, authoritative online database of revised UK primary legislation.

The Tribunals Service
A government agency providing common administrative support to the main central government tribunals. The Tribunals Service is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), and when launched in April 2006 resulted in the biggest change to the tribunals system in this country in almost half a century.