§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to review the retirement age of judges; and if he will make a statement. [77868]
§ Mr. HoonThe Lord Chancellor has no plans to review the retirement age of judges. The retirement age was changed by the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993, which came into force on 31 March 1995. This Act established a normal compulsory retirement age of 70 (except where a lower age is specified in the statutory conditions of tenure for a particular office) for all judicial office holders initially appointed on or after that date, subject to a power given to the Lord Chancellor to extend or re-extend service for a year at a time up to a limit of 75. Under the transitional provisions, judges appointed before 31 March 1995 retain their pre-existing retirement age.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many(a) House of Lords judges, (b) Court of Appeal judges, (c) High Court judges, (d) circuit judges, (e) District judges and High Court masters and (f) stipendiary magistrates are presently serving; and of those, how many and what percentage in each case (i) are women, (ii) are from ethnic minorities, (iii) have Oxbridge degrees, (iv) had public school education and (v) were Queen's Counsel before appointment. [77866]
§ Mr. HoonThe available information is set out in the table.
Figures showing the number of judicial officer holders who have Oxbridge degrees, had a public school education or were Queen's Counsel before appointment are not available. Information of this kind is held on individual person records and is not collated centrally. It could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In any event, the information would be incomplete as details of secondary education are no longer collected.
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Women Ethnic Minorities 1 In post 1 March 1999 Number Percentage Number Percentage (a) House of Lords Judges 12 0 0 0 0 (b) Court of Appeal Judges 35 1 2.9 0 0 (c) High Court Judges 98 7 7.1 0 0 (d) Circuit Judges 562 36 6.4 4 0.7 (e) District Judges 379 52 13.7 5 1.3 & High Court Masters 24 0 0 0 0 403 52 12.9 5 1.2 (f) Stipendiary Magistrates Metropolitan & Provincial 93 13 14 1 1.1 1 Details of ethnic origin are provided on a voluntary basis and have been collected only since October 1991.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average (i) age and (ii) length of professional experience on -appointment of(a) High Court and (b) circuit judges currently serving. [77867]
§ Mr. HoonThere are currently 98 High Court judges. Their average age is 59 years and on appointment their average length of professional experience since they were called to the Bar or admitted as a solicitor was 28 years. There are currently 562 Circuit Judges. Their average age is 58 years and their average length of professional experience on appointment was 26 years.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what formal training(a) House of Lords judges, (b) Court of Appeal judges, (c) High Court judges, (d) circuit judges, (e) district judges, (f) High Court masters and (g) part-time judges in categories (c) to (f) have in each case received on the new civil justice system to be introduced in April 1999. [77871]
§ Mr. HoonJudicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), which is an independent non-departmental public body and is chaired by Lord Justice Henry.
The JSB held a series of residential seminars on the new civil justice procedures during January and February 1999 which were attended by nearly all full-time judges exercising civil jurisdiction. Those attending comprised 29 Court of Appeal judges, 83 High Court judges, 352 circuit judges, 387 district judges and 20 High Court masters and registrars. A separate seminar was held on 15 March for judges of the technology and construction court.
The JSB will hold a series of 22 one day seminars in April, May and June 1999 on the new civil justice procedures which will be attended by all 1,400 part-time judges exercising civil jurisdiction, and by those few full-time judges who were unable to attend the residential seminars.
The JSB has not given training to House of Lords judges.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what arrangements are in place to monitor judicial competence and performance; what plans he has to review these arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [77869]
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§ Mr. HoonThe Lord Chancellor believes that any such arrangements must strike an appropriate balance between the obligations of the judiciary to the public and the overriding constitutional principle of judicial independence which means that judges must be able to determine each case fairly and on its merits, without fear of improper intervention. Almost all judicial decisions are subject to appeal or review enabling higher courts to comment on or redress judicial decisions or conduct. The work of part-time judges provides opportunities for their performance and, therefore, their suitability for appointment to full-time office to be assessed. The Lord Chancellor has decided to review the scope for refining and improving the arrangements for the appraisal of part-time judicial office holders, and in that context has endorsed a pilot scheme involving more structured arrangements for the performance appraisal of deputy District Judges which he hopes to extend in due course.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what arrangements are in place to provide continuing education for judges; what plans he has to review those arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [77870]
§ Mr. HoonJudicial education is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), which is an independent non-departmental public body and is chaired by Lord Justice Henry.
The JSB provides continuing education for judges through a programme of seminars on criminal, civil and family law which are attended by Circuit Judges, District Judges, Stipendiary Magistrates, Recorders, Assistant Recorders, Deputy District Judges and acting Stipendiary Magistrates. In general, full- and part-time Judges attend training courses run by the JSB every three years.
The JSB draws up a strategy, covering three years, which is reviewed annually. In the light of the strategy the JSB draws up an annual plan. Both the strategy and annual plan are sent to the Lord Chancellor, who considers the performance targets and allocates resources to the JSB in the light of the plans and the overall resources available to him.