Circuits of England & Wales
For the practice of law, England and Wales are split into six distinct geographical regions known as “circuits”. The origins of the circuit system go back to the 12th century, when visiting judges would travel around the country each year on circuits to hear cases.
From the perspective of the Bar, the circuits now exist to represent barristers’ and legal service users’ interests in a specific geographical area. Each circuit elects a leader who must be a KC, and they serve a three-year team. The role of a leader is to represent the circuit and its members to relevant stakeholders.
Find out more about each circuit
Circuits map
View the areas covered by each circuit and the local authorities contained within them.
*It should be noted that while Chester has strong cultural and operational links with the Bar and courts in Wales, for administrative purposes it is part of the Northern circuit.
How to use this map
- This map is best viewed on a desktop.
- Hover your mouse over different areas of the map to see Local Authority and Circuit Name.
- If you click or tap on an area of the map, it will zoom in to that area. To reset the map, refresh the page or click on the white space of the map.