§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
How long, on average, in each term nominated judges spend sitting in the Administrative Court. [HL237]
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)There are currently 25 nominated judges who sit on average three weeks each term.
§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they accept the recommendation of the Bowman Review of the Crown Office List that nominated judges of the Administrative Court should eventually spend two thirds of their time sitting on administrative cases; and [HL238]
Whether they accept the recommendation of the Bowman Review of the Crown Office List that those judges willing to do so should be able to sit for at least half a term in the Administrative Court; and [HL239]
Whether they accept the recommendation of the Bowman Review of the Crown Office List that willingness to spend at least half of their sitting time on administrative work should form part of the selection criteria for judges nominated to the Administrative Court; and [HL240]
Whether they accept the recommendation of the Bowman Review of the Crown Office List that judges of the Administrative Court should have one reading day per week. [HL241]
§ The Lord ChancellorI am sympathetic to these recommendations and have asked the senior judiciary to consider them in the light of the other competing demands within the High Court. In the first instance, Mr Justice Scott Baker, the lead nominated judge, has written to all the nominated judges and has arranged a series of meetings with them to canvass their views.