The Judicial Forces functioned as the Galactic Republic's military-trained peacekeeping force in the years leading up to its fall. Operating under the authority of the Judicial Department, its members, known as Judicials, received their training at the Judicial Academy located on the Republic capital planet of Coruscant. While primarily intended for peacekeeping duties, the Judicial Forces, owing to their military nature, also performed various internal security tasks.
During the time of the Old Republic, the Judicial Forces assisted the Jedi Order in policing the planet Zygerria until the destruction of its slave trade.
In the years preceding the Clone Wars, the Republic increasingly relied on the Jedi Order for maintaining peace, which lessened the need for the Judicial Forces. In 29 BBY, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were scheduled to rendezvous with the Judicial's Republic Diplomatic Fleet, but their T-6 shuttle instead crashed on the planet Carnelion IV. While on that world, the young Padawan inquired of his Master about their course of action, given that the fleet lacked the planet's coordinates. After Kenobi pointed out the high concentrations of tibanna gas in Carnelion IV's atmosphere, both the Judicial Forces and the Jedi intervened on the planet, bringing the Open-Closed war to an end. While the Jedi attended to the injured combatants, the Judicial Forces' Consular-class space cruisers then carried out a survey to explore the tibanna gas reserves.
Shortly before the First Battle of Geonosis, the Republic formally established the Grand Army of the Republic.
By the war between the First Order and the Resistance, the First Order possessed every after-action report ever filed by the Judicial Forces, alongside those of the Galactic Empire and the Planetary Security Forces.
At the time of the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, Judicials were observed wearing dark blue, double-breasted uniforms.