The Judicial College has set out an overview of its training in domestic abuse for magistrates and judges in family court for the first time.
The overview, published in addition to the Judicial College Prospectus for 2026 to 2027, reveals how training in domestic abuse will now be “embedded across the curriculum”.
Under the plans, new and existing judges and magistrates in England and Wales will undertake domestic abuse training throughout their careers to “ensure all judges receive regular training in which issues of domestic abuse are a central and continuous theme”.
A summary of how magistrates and judges in the family and criminal courts are trained to handle cases of domestic abuse has also been published.
The Right Honourable Lady Justice King DBE, chair of the Judicial College, writes in her foreword: “Alongside the prospectus, we are publishing an overview of training in domestic abuse for magistrates and judges in the family and criminal courts. It explains, for the first time, how training in domestic abuse is embedded across the curriculum.
“This marks an important step under the Judicial College Strategy 2026 to 2030 to be more open about the content and development of judicial training, and to support greater public understanding of the College’s role and work.”
The annual prospectus sets out the training programme available to all judicial office holders, including descriptions of each course and the intended learning outcomes.
Publication of the overview falls under the Judicial College’s ongoing commitment to being more open and outward-facing under its Strategy 2026 to 2030.
According to the overview, domestic abuse training for newly appointed magistrates will follow a structured programme of training and development during their first 18 months. As part of this programme, magistrates complete a two-part induction tailored to the family or criminal jurisdiction, which features domestic abuse as a central issue.
All new magistrates also complete a day of focused domestic abuse training.
Existing magistrates will now undertake regular continuation training to maintain their competency against the appraisal framework, including any training deemed mandatory in a particular year.
New judges will complete initial training on appointment, tailored to the types of cases they will be dealing with. They will also complete a cross-jurisdiction induction to consolidate their learning following a period of sitting, focused on core judicial skills and decision-making.
Existing judges must complete two days of continuation training every year. The College offers a programme of seminars on a range of topics, from which judges select the training most relevant to their learning needs.
Specific training requirements apply to judges authorised to deal with public family law cases, or cases involving serious sexual offences in the Crown Court or youth court. This includes a relevant induction seminar as a pre-requisite for authorisation, and completion of the relevant continuation seminar every three years.
