@Target(TYPE)
@Retention(RUNTIME)
@Constraint(validatedBy = DateOfBirthIsValidValidator.class)
@Documented
@ReportAsSingleViolation
public @interface DateOfBirthIsValid {
   String message() default "A valid date of birth is required for all passengers";
    Class<?>[] groups() default {};
    Class<? extends Payload>[] payload() default {};
}

public class DateOfBirthIsValidValidator implements ConstraintValidator<DateOfBirthIsValid, PassengerListItem>{
    @Override
    public void initialize(DateOfBirthIsValid dateOfBirthIsValid) {}
    @Override
    public boolean isValid(PassengerListItem passengerListItem, ConstraintValidatorContext constraintValidatorContext) {
   if (passengerListItem.dob is not valid) etc etc etc
   return false;
   }
}

constraintValidatorContext.disableDefaultConstraintViolation();
constraintValidatorContext.buildConstraintViolationWithTemplate( "my error"  ).addConstraintViolation();

    @Override
    public boolean isValid(PassengerListItem pax, ConstraintValidatorContext constraintValidatorContext) {

       String paxName      = pax.getRPH() == null ? "" : pax.getRPH();
      String errorMessage = null;

       try {
          paxName = String.format("%s %s %s", pax.getName().getNamePrefix().getBodyText(), pax.getName().getGivenName().getBodyText(), pax.getName().getSurname().getBodyText());

       } catch (Exception e) {}

       Reason response = isValid(pax, paxName);

       switch (response) {

          case Valid:
             return true;

          case InvalidDOB:
             errorMessage = String .format("Passenger %s, requires a valid date of birth", paxName);
             break;

          case MaxAge:

              if (pax.isAdult())
                 errorMessage = String .format("Passenger %s, is to old to be classified as an adult for this holiday", paxName);

              else if (pax.isChild() || pax.isFreeChild())
                 errorMessage = String .format("Passenger %s, is to old to be classified as a child for this holiday", paxName);

              else if (pax.isInfant())
                 errorMessage = String .format("Passenger %s, is to old to be classified as a infant for this holiday", paxName);

              break;

          case MinAge:

              if (pax.isAdult())
                 errorMessage = String .format("Passenger %s, is to young to be classified as an adult for this holiday", paxName);

              else if (pax.isChild() || pax.isFreeChild())
                 errorMessage = String .format("Passenger %s, is to young to be classified as an child for this holiday", paxName);

              else if (pax.isInfant())
                 errorMessage = String .format("Passenger %s, is to young to be classified as an infant for this holiday", paxName);

              break;


       }

       if (errorMessage != null) {
          constraintValidatorContext.disableDefaultConstraintViolation();
          constraintValidatorContext.buildConstraintViolationWithTemplate( errorMessage ).addConstraintViolation();
       }
       return false;
    }

  private ValidatorFactory   factory        = Validation.buildDefaultValidatorFactory();
  private Validator             validator      = null;

   /**
     * validate
     * @param obj - the object to validate
     * @param errors - the errors object to populate
     * @param classHierarchy - the class hierarchy to use to indicate to the
     */
    public void validate(Object obj, Errors errors, Class<?> classHierarchy) {
        if (obj == null)
            return;

        if (this.validator == null)
           this.validator = factory.getValidator();

        ArrayList<String> alreadyReported = new ArrayList<String>();

        Set<ConstraintViolation<Object>> constraintViolations = this.validator.validate(obj, classHierarchy);

        if (constraintViolations.isEmpty())
            return;

        for (ConstraintViolation<Object> constraintViolation : constraintViolations) {

           String errorCode = obj.getClass().getSimpleName() + "." +constraintViolation.getPropertyPath();

           errorCode = properties.getProperty(errorCode,errorCode);

            if (alreadyReported.contains(errorCode))
               continue;

            alreadyReported.add(errorCode);

            if (loggerIsDebug)
               logger.debug(String.format("Validation error code [%s] Message : [%s} ",errorCode,constraintViolation.getMessage()));

            errors.reject(errorCode, constraintViolation.getMessage());

        }
    }
 

this.validator.validate(obj, classHierarchy);

package com.ttsltd.test;

import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.TYPE;
import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME;

import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

import javax.validation.Constraint;
import javax.validation.Payload;
import javax.validation.ReportAsSingleViolation;

@Target(TYPE)
@Retention(RUNTIME)
@Constraint(validatedBy = TestValidator.class)
@Documented
@ReportAsSingleViolation
public @interface IsValid {
   Class<?>[] groups() default {};
   String message() default "Default error message";
   Class<? extends Payload>[] payload() default {};
}

package com.ttsltd.test;

import javax.validation.ConstraintValidator;
import javax.validation.ConstraintValidatorContext;

public class TestValidator implements ConstraintValidator<IsValid, DummyTestClass>{

   @Override
   public void initialize(IsValid isValid) {}

   @Override
   public boolean isValid(DummyTestClass dummyTestClass, ConstraintValidatorContext constraintValidatorContext) {
      constraintValidatorContext.disableDefaultConstraintViolation();
      constraintValidatorContext.buildConstraintViolationWithTemplate("Changed error message").addConstraintViolation();
      return false;
   }
}

package com.ttsltd.test;
@IsValid(groups=TestChecks.class)
public class DummyTestClass {}

package com.ttsltd.test;
public interface TestChecks {}

package com.ttsltd.test;

import static org.junit.Assert.*;

import java.util.Set;

import javax.validation.ConstraintViolation;
import javax.validation.Validation;
import javax.validation.Validator;
import javax.validation.ValidatorFactory;

import org.junit.Test;
public class TestClass {
   @Test
   public void test() throws Exception {

       ValidatorFactory  factory           = Validation.buildDefaultValidatorFactory();
      Validator         validator         = factory.getValidator();
      DummyTestClass dummyTestClass = new DummyTestClass();

      Set<ConstraintViolation<DummyTestClass>> constraintViolations = validator.validate(dummyTestClass, TestChecks.class);

      for (ConstraintViolation<DummyTestClass> instance : constraintViolations)
         assertEquals("Changed error message", instance.getMessage());
   }
}

org.junit.ComparisonFailure: expected:<[Changed] error message> but was:<[Default] error message>
   at org.junit.Assert.assertEquals(Assert.java:123)
   at org.junit.Assert.assertEquals(Assert.java:145)
   at com.ttsltd.test.TestClass.test(TestClass.java:34)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
   at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
   at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod$1.runReflectiveCall(FrameworkMethod.java:44)
   at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:15)
   at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod.invokeExplosively(FrameworkMethod.java:41)
   at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.InvokeMethod.evaluate(InvokeMethod.java:20)
   at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:76)
   at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:50)
   at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:193)
   at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:52)
   at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:191)
   at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:42)
   at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:184)
   at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:236)
   at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit4.runner.JUnit4TestReference.run(JUnit4TestReference.java:46)
   at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.TestExecution.run(TestExecution.java:38)
   at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:467)
   at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:683)
   at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.run(RemoteTestRunner.java:390)
   at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.main(RemoteTestRunner.java:197)