Updates for L2 and L5 judges
Most judges naturally begin their development within the breed or breeds in which they have an initial interest or experience as an owner, exhibitor, handler, or breeder.
Judges who have not attained L4 (CC) status in any breed will be limited to registering for a maximum of 10 breeds at L2, and so in turn L3.
A judge who has already registered for 10 breeds at L2 may continue to attend Breed Appreciation Days (BADs) and pass Multiple-choice Exams (MCEs) in other breeds. However, those additional breeds, and the initial training undertaken in them, will be held in a provisional state (i.e. “banked”) until the judge attains L4 status in a breed.
Varieties will be treated as one breed for the purposes of the 10-breed limit. The limit applies in total across all 7 groups.
Judges who have not attained L4 status in any breed and who are currently registered at L2 for more than 10 breeds will be contacted by us in the coming weeks. We will work with each judge to update their Find A Judge (FAJ) profile to reflect the new 10-breed limit.
L5 Judges and L2 Eligibility
Judges who are newly approved for L5 (Group) status will no longer automatically qualify at L2 for all remaining breeds within their respective group.
This change does not affect the existing L2 eligibility of current L5 judges. However, should new breeds be recognised, L5 judges for the respective group will not automatically qualify at L2 for those breeds.
Where an existing L5 judge subsequently attains L5 status for an additional group, the new arrangements will also apply to that additional group.
L5 judges will be able to attain L2 status for other breeds within their respective group by attending a Breed Appreciation Day (BAD) and passing the Multiple-choice Exam (MCE) for the relevant breed.
The JEP Review report included a recommendation that Group Mentoring be repositioned as a L2 requirement and activity. This recommendation will be implemented in due course. To be clear, newly approved L5 judges will not be required to undertake Group Mentoring to achieve L2 status in the remaining breeds within their group.
When do the changes take effect?
The changes take effect immediately.