Reform of Local Justice Areas
This public consultation seeks views on proposals to replace the current organisation of magistrates’ courts following the abolition of Local Justice Areas.
Update September 2025:
This consultation closed on 23 June 2025 and received over 1,400 responses. Due to the large volume of feedback received, analysis is still ongoing. A final joint response from the government and judiciary will be published in due course.
The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 legislated to abolish the system of Local Justice Areas (LJAs) to facilitate greater efficiency in the administration and operation of magistrates’ courts. This consultation, developed jointly between HMG and Judicial Office, sets out proposals for a new structure following LJA abolition. It also seeks views on proposed changes to magistrates’ training and leadership arrangements which are currently organised around LJAs.
This consultation is primarily aimed at magistrates in England and Wales who will be impacted by these proposals, but we also welcome views from other individuals or groups with a particular interest in the magistracy as well as from members of the public more broadly.