Appointments Process
The Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee was formed in 1988, and the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee, in 2007. These committees operate independently of the Ontario Court of Justice. As a convenience, information about their procedures and their work are included here.
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JAAC invites applications for all base court locations in Ontario on a continuous basis. In addition, if you wish to be considered for active priority vacancies in the Central East, East and West Regions, please apply as soon as possible.
ATTENTION – Please note that the Judicial Candidate Information Form has recently been updated. The Committee will not consider applications that are not on the current (December 2025) Judicial Candidate Information Form.
The Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee recommends to the Attorney General of Ontario candidates for the appointment of Judges to the Ontario Court of Justice.
The Committee has switched to a pool-based process and invites applications for judicial appointments across all base court locations in Ontario on a continuous basis. Candidates who wish to be considered for a judicial appointment are encouraged to submit an application. The Committee will assess and classify all candidates who submit applications. Classifications expire after three years from the date a candidate submits an application.
There are currently a number of active priority vacancies in the Central East, East and West Regions. Candidates who would like to be considered for these vacancies should submit their application as soon as possible.
Bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates who identify bilingual ability as indicated on the application form are required to undergo standardized French language testing to assess their proficiency.
The appointments to the base court locations also involve travel within the regional boundaries and elsewhere in the province of Ontario, as assigned by the Regional Senior Justice and/or the Chief Justice.
The minimum requirement to apply to be a Judge in the Ontario Court of Justice is ten years completed membership as a barrister and solicitor at the Bar of one of the Provinces or Territories of Canada.
NEW PROCESS: The Courts of Justice Act has been amended, resulting in changes to the Committee’s process. Candidates will now be classified as “not recommended”, “recommended” or “highly recommended” across all court locations in which they are willing to sit. The classification period lasts for three years, beginning on the date the candidate applies.
Further information regarding the Committee process, as well as Frequently Asked Questions, can be found on the Committee’s website.
All candidates must apply by submitting an electronic copy of the current (December 2025) completed Judicial Candidate Information Form. Any communications from the Committee will be sent by email. Please ensure that a suitable email address is provided on your application.
If you wish to apply, please refer to the current application form and submission instructions here.
Candidates who wish to be considered for active priority vacancies in Central East, East and West Regions must use the current prescribed form and submit the application as soon as possible.
The Committee invites applications for judicial appointments across all base court locations in Ontario on a continuous basis to build a pool of qualified candidates.
The Judiciary of the Ontario Court of Justice should reflect the diversity of the population it serves. Applications from persons belonging to diverse groups are encouraged.