Mr. Justice Wood (Hansard, 24 March 1994)

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the basis of the Lord Chancellor's professional differences with Mr. Justice Wood.

Mr. John M. Taylor
No. It would not be right for me to comment on the relationship of the Lord Chancellor, as head of the judiciary, and any judicial officer.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department who is the press spokeswoman who advised the press of the Lord Chancellor's views about Mr. Justice Wood's stewardship of employment appeal tribunal applications; and what was the basis on which this was done.

Mr. John M. Taylor
The Lord Chancellor's head of information advised those members of the press who approached her concerning Sir John Wood's stewardship of the employment appeals tribunal. In each case, she was asked to comment on correspondence between the Lord Chancellor and Sir John in 1993 in which the Lord Chancellor had drawn Sir John's attention to the rule 3 procedure by which the EAT was able to deal with the mounting backlog of cases in the employment appeals tribunal.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what reason was given by Mr. Justice Wood for his retirement as president of the employment appeals tribunal.

Mr. John M. Taylor
I am not aware of the reason for Mr. Justice Wood's retirement.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what occasion and by what method the Lord Chancellor asked Mr. Justice Wood to reconsider his decision to permit appellants to the employment appeals tribunal the facility of advancing their cases at preliminary hearings; what were his reasons for doing so; and what response was made.
342W

Mr. John M. Taylor
I am not in a position to comment on private communications between the Lord Chancellor and judges.

§ Mr. Mackinlay
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representation he has received from(a) Lord Justice Purchas, (b) other judges and (c) the judge's representative body about his relationship with Mr. Justice Wood, prior to the latter's retirement as president of the employment appeals tribunal; and what action he has taken.

Mr. John M. Taylor
None.