The Premier League is home to some of the most competitive and compelling football in the world. The League and its Clubs use the power and popularity of the competition to inspire fans, communities and partners in the UK and across the world. The Premier League brings people together from all backgrounds, it is a competition for everyone, everywhere and is available to watch in over 900 million homes in 189 countries.
As its governing body, the Premier League has responsibility for the organisation and regulation of the league, through the uniform application of it Rules to its Clubs and their officials, and the implementation and administration of various dispute resolution processes as between them.
In February 2020, the Premier League created an independent Judicial Panel, that is a standing group of arbitrators with legal, financial, sporting and other relevant expertise, who would be available for appointment by the Chair to adjudicate independently on disciplinary cases and appeals.
Upon the creation of the Judicial Panel in February 2020, a number of initial members were recruited.
The Rt. Hon. Sir Gary Hickinbottom was appointed by the Premier League Clubs as the second Chair of the Judicial Panel in February 2025, for a term of five years, and he is now seeking to add further members to the Judicial Panel. The relevant Terms of Reference can be found at Appendix 15 of the latest Premier League Rules, accessible here – Premier League Handbook.
Judicial Panel members will be available for appointment by the Chair to sit on Commissions, Appeal Boards, Tribunals (alone or as three) and otherwise as provided for in the Premier League Rules. Applicants may be invited to sit on other Premier League independent panels, such as the Independent Oversight Panel. Remuneration for such appointments will be based on a daily rate for the time spent on each particular matter, and there will also be reimbursement of such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses as may be incurred during the course of that work.
An applicant must be one of the following:
- a sitting or retired judge;
- a barrister or solicitor of at least ten years’ post-qualification experience (a minimum of 15 years’ post-qualification experience for Appeal Board appointments);
- an authorised insolvency practitioner;
- an individual who holds a nationally recognised qualification as an accountant or auditor;
- an individual with extensive and demonstrable experience in:
- football administration;
- youth development; or
- equality, diversity and inclusion.
Applications should be made in confidence, via the Premier League’s recruitment site, in the form of a letter explaining the applicant’s qualifications, experience and suitability, together with an informative CV, by no later than 1 July 2026. It is expected that interviews with a short list of preferred applicants will take place commencing in the weeks of 20 and 27 July 2026. For successful candidates, training and familiarisation sessions will take place subsequently.
The Premier League will be supporting the Judicial Panel Chair on the process (scheduling interviews etc.), but decisions on appointments are to be made by the Judicial Panel Chair.
Appointments will be made based on merit. However, we particularly encourage applications from women, people from minority ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ people and disabled people. If you have a disability and would like the advert in alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interest process to best support you, please contact
[email protected].
Our commitment to safeguarding includes implementing robust safer recruitment procedures to assess the suitability of individuals applying for roles that involve work with children and adults who are or may be at risk of harm. For further information, please see our Safeguarding Policy and Safer Recruitment Guidance.
We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact
[email protected]
Applicants who do not meet the requirements for the role will not be considered and, given the anticipated interest in these roles, it will not be possible to provide feedback in respect of unsuccessful applications.
The Premier League is home to some of the most competitive and compelling football in the world. The League and its Clubs use the power and popularity of the competition to inspire fans, communities and partners in the UK and across the world. The Premier League brings people together from all backgrounds. It is a competition for everyone, everywhere and is available to watch in over 900 million homes in 189 countries.
We have a wide variety of responsibilities. These include organising the competition and its Handbook as well as managing the centralised broadcast and commercial rights. The work we do in conjunction with the Clubs also goes far beyond the 90 minutes. We support and provide a framework for youth development, we protect the organisation’s intellectual property, support the wider game and community programmes, undertake international development work and liaise with governing bodies and other leagues.
The Premier League is an equal opportunities employer and strives to create an inclusive culture where talent can flourish. We believe in the potential of everyone and open our doors to those who share those values. All appointments will be made based on merit; however, we particularly encourage applications from women, people from minority ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ people and disabled people.
