You and your referees

We may seek information from people who are well placed to comment on how you meet the qualities and abilities.

You and your referees

The JAC will seek information from people who are well placed to comment on how the candidate meets the Qualities and Abilities.  The JAC seeks references from the following groups:

Candidate nominated referees
You are invited to nominate up to three (sometimes six) referees who know you well either personally or professionally.  

You should choose referees who have direct knowledge of the professional or voluntary work you do. This can be someone you work for, with, or on behalf of. 

It is the candidates' responsibility to ensure 'candidate nominated' referees are submitted to directly to the JAC.  The JAC will inform candidates when you need to contact your 'candidate nominated' referees.

JAC nominated referees
In addition the JAC will also ask you to nominate specific referees. These will be identified in the section in your information pack titled 'JAC nominated referees'.

You may also tell us if you do not wish us to approach the relevant JAC nominated referee, but you must give reasons. If you have excluded your relevant JAC nominated referee, you must suggest an alternative referee who is familiar with your work.

The JAC will contact 'JAC nominated' referees directly and candidates will not have to obtain these references on behalf of the JAC.
When are references taken and how are they used?

If a paper sift is used for shortlisting, references are normally taken up before the sift and are used by the Panel in reaching their decision. If a qualifying test is used, references are normally taken up after the test but before the selection day.

Your references will be available to the Panel for the Selection Day and they will use them as part of their decision making process. The JAC employs a holistic approach to the selection process so that references are considered alongside and in conjunction with all the other information gathered about a candidate. The Commission will also have access to your references when they come to make their final selection decisions.

Purpose and value of references
The value of references is the evidence they provide to the selection panel.  The reference form which needs to be completed is based on the Qualities and Abilities for the relevant selection exercise.  These Qualities and Abilities form the basis for the panel assessment of a candidate.  We therefore need referees to provide specific examples to evidence statements that are being used - assertions must be avoided.

Addressing what is being asked for
Each quality has several aspects to it, denoted by bullet points.  Referees must address each of these points in their reference - if they do not there is often insufficient evidence for the Panel to easily assess a candidate in respect of that quality.  For example, with regard to the quality "Personal Qualities" the aspects of this which the Panel are seeking evidence of are, integrity and independence of mind, sound judgement, decisiveness, objectivity and the ability to learn and develop professionally.  Consequently, references which state 'An honest woman who is a pillar of the community' or 'Mr X is also well turned out and early at court' do not address the information being sought in a reference.

Evidence Based
The Panel assessing a candidate are asked to make evidence based decisions, and to justify those decisions by referring to the evidence that they have considered and taken into account when making their assessment.  Consequently, a reference which says a candidate "analyses cases quickly and intelligently and identifies the important points in an argumnet" would be of more use if such a statement was supported by a specific example of this.

References should be submitted electronically. Hard copy returns will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.

You and your referees.
You should always consider asking referees before you nominate them. It is best to discuss the post you're applying for with the referee, so that they have a clear idea of what is needed. It may also be helpful to let them see a copy of your application form so that they know the qualities and abilities you need to demonstrate, and how you are intending to do that.

It may be helpful to remind your referees of the work you did together. If it is a judge you appeared before, you could send copies of skeleton arguments of the cases. If you are a solicitor naming a barrister you briefed, you could send copies of the instructions you gave.

Please do not give JAC nominated referees as your personal referees as this limits the information available to the selection panel.  

Conflict of interest
You should not nominate a JAC Commissioner as a referee. You should also state in the Application Form if you are in any way related to, or known to, any of the Commissioners and give details.

Referee Assessment Form
Your referees will be asked to complete the Referee Assessment Form, which will be available on the JAC website, on the page relating to the selection exercise to which you have applied.