§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are all the duties of the Lord Chancellor other than his parliamentary and government duties. [HL3711]
§ The Lord ChancellorMy noble and learned friend the Leader of the House set out 11 broad categories of function of Lord Chancellor (excluding his sitting as a judge) when he responded to the debate on the Motion to appoint a Select Committee to consider the future arrangements for the Speakership (Official Report,3/7/03; col. 1000). These are:
Speakership of the House of Lords.
Judicial appointments, conduct and discipline in England and Wales.
118WAJudicial appointments, conduct and discipline in Northern Ireland.
Ministerial responsibilities in relation to courts and tribunals, legal and constitutional affairs in England and Wales.
Ministerial responsibilities in relation to courts and legal affairs in Northern Ireland.
Ministerial responsibilities in relation to the national archives.
Ministerial responsibilities in relation to land registration in England and Wales.
Responsibilities in relation to the Great Seal.
Ecclesiastical patronage and other ecclesiastical functions.
Visitatorial jurisdiction (academic, Royal Peculiars, etc).
Non-judicial appointments (such as to school governors).
The Lord Chancellor also makes or advises on appointments to certain tribunals whose responsibilities extend to Scotland.
All duties which do not explicitly relate to the Lord Chancellor's role as a judge, or relate to the Speakership, are carried out by the Lord Chancellor as a Minister of the Crown.