Judicial Appointments Commission
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is an independent committee responsible for the selection of candidates for office and judicial posts in the courts of England and Wales and some selected courts with jurisdiction in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The commission recommends candidates for appointment to the High Court of Justice and the offices listed in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 . Outside of this area of responsibility, the Commission can make recommendations on the appointment of the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales , the Master of the Rolls , the President of the Queen's Bench Division and the Family Division . The JAC has no direct say in the appointments to the UK Supreme Court , but one of its members sits on the committee responsible for the appointment. In addition, the Lord Chancellor may request the Council of the Commission to fill any office if he deems it necessary.
The commission has been performing its duties since April 3, 2006. Previously, the Lord Chancellor was responsible for selecting the candidates. The Commission's recommendations are not binding. However, if they are rejected by the body responsible for the final appointment, this must be justified in writing to the JAC.
When working out its proposals, the commission may only select candidates based on their professional suitability and only consider candidates with impeccable repute . In addition, she must ensure that her selection reflects the diversity of society.
Members
The commission has 15 members. While twelve, including the chairman, are appointed freely, three are selected by members of the judiciary . The committee is always chaired by a member who has not had any legal training. From the other 14 members
- must belong to at least 5 members of the judiciary, with one (Judicial category)
- at least two must be either barrister or solicitor or belong to the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (professional category)
- at least one member must be a judge at a higher court (tribunal category)
- At least one member may neither have a license to practice law nor work as a judge (lay category)
The committee currently has the following members:
| Surname | category | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Stephens | Lay | Chairman |
| Ian Burnett | Judicial | Deputy Chair |
| Martin Forde | professional | |
| Alexandra Marks | professional | |
| Usha Karu | Judicial | |
| Christopher Simmonds | Judicial | |
| Phillip Sycamore | Judicial | |
| Judge Wilkie | Judicial | |
| Lucy Scott-Moncrieff | tribunal | |
| Katharine Rainsford | Lay | Justice of the Peace |
| Emily Jackson | Lay | |
| Noel Lloyd | Lay | |
| Andrew Ridgway | Lay | |
| Valerie Strachan | Lay | |
| Debra van Gene | Lay |
Internal organization
In addition to the members, the commission has around 60 employees. There are three departments between which the tasks of the commission are distributed. Different teams organize the individual selection rounds, process incoming applications and organize committees that carry out the actual selection. These teams also design the tasks that applicants must complete during the selection process. The JAC also has a small press department. When the Commission was set up, it initially faced significant concerns. In the meantime, however, it has acquired a good reputation within the judiciary for selecting candidates. A January 2015 report by the Ministry of Justice suggested that the work of the commission should continue without restriction.
Selection process
Potential candidates can take part in trial procedures before their actual application. To do this, they have to apply electronically. The trial procedures are carried out by the organization teams and simulate the actual main procedure. After the trial procedure there is the main procedure in which the candidates first have to take an entrance test. A shortlist of the most promising applicants is then drawn up. They will then be invited to a personal interview. In this you can be asked to create a case study or to carry out a role play . The committee that carries out the selection process then makes a recommendation to the Selection and Character Committee . Only the members of the JAC belong to this. This assesses the assessment of the various committees and then proposes the candidates for appointment to the competent authority.
Individual evidence
- ^ List of members of the JAC on the homepage of the Ministry of Justice
- ^ Press release from the Ministry of Justice on the work of the JAC