HC Deb 27 April 1999 vol 330 cc133-4W
Mr. Dismore

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department from what funds the(a) costs of administration and (b) expenses of members the Judges' Council are met; and, for each of its last three years, what was the total cost of the Judges' Council. [82340]

Mr. Hoon

The secretariat for the Judges' Council is provided by the Lord Chief Justice's Private Office as a small part of its regular duties. The costs are not identifiable separately. No expenses are payable to members of the Judges' Council.

Mr. Dismore

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if he will make a statement on the process of appointments of members of the Judges' Council; [82338]

(2) if he will list the members of the Judges' Council, indicating their positions; [82337]

(3) to whom the Judges' Council is accountable; and if he will make a statement. [82350]

Mr. Hoon

The Judges' Council is an independent body without a formal constitution. It has no statutory basis, exercises no executive functions and controls no public expenditure. It meets to discuss issues of concern to the senior judiciary and to represent the views of the senior judiciary to the Lord Chancellor and other individuals and bodies. It is wholly independent of Government and is accountable only to those whose views it represents. Its membership is a matter for the Council itself and those whose views it represents.

Mr. Dismore

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what(a) instructions and (b) advice has been issued by the Judge's Council concerning membership of pressure groups as a disqualification from sitting as a judge; what pressure groups have been identified by the Judges' Council in such instructions and advice; and if he will make a statement. [R][82339]

Mr. Hoon

The Judges' Council does not issue instructions to anyone. I understand that it has recently, on request, given advice to individual part-time judges about declaring their membership of particular professional organisations, in any case where such membership might give rise to a potential conflict of interest. The Council is wholly independent of Government and any advice it may offer to others is not a matter for the Lord Chancellor's Department.