Judicial Appointments Commission (Triennial Review)

(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)

Thursday 27th March 2014 Written Statements

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling)]

In March 2011 the Government responded to the Public Accounts Select Committee report “Smaller Government: Shrinking the Quango state” setting out the coalition’s plans for reforming the public bodies sector. It includes the requirement to undertake triennial reviews of Executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).

The Judicial Appointments Commission is an independent commission that selects candidates for judicial office in courts and tribunals in England and Wales, and for some tribunals whose jurisdiction extends to Scotland or Northern Ireland. It was established on 3 April 2006 as one of the major changes brought about by the Constitutional Reform Act (CRA) 2005, which also reformed the office of Lord Chancellor and established the Lord Chief Justice as head of the judiciary of England and Wales.

To deliver the coalition Government’s commitment to transparency and accountability across our public bodies, the Judicial Appointments Commission will be subject to a triennial review. The Ministry of Justice, as the sponsoring Department, has today launched a consultation, which will last until 30 April 2014, inviting views. In line with Cabinet Office guidance, the review will consider the following:

the continuing need for the Judicial Appointments Commission—both its functions and its form; and

where it is agreed that it should remain, to review the control and governance arrangements in place to ensure that the public body is complying with recognised principles of good corporate governance.

In conducting the triennial review, officials will be engaging with a broad range of Judicial Appointments Commission stakeholders, including the Lord Chief Justice and the judiciary. The review will be aligned with guidance published by the Cabinet Office: “Guidance on Reviews of Non Departmental Public Bodies”. The final report and findings will be laid in this House.