§ Lord Roberts of Conwyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the statement in Chapter 5, paragraph 56, of the Ministerial Code that, in respect of civil servants, Ministers have "a duty to ensure that influence over appointments is not abused for partisan purposes" applies to legal appointments made by the Lord Chancellor; and, if not, why not. [HL934]
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)Paragraph 56 of the Ministerial Code refers to the Civil Service. However, the appointment of judges and Queen's Counsel is purely on the basis of merit, and there are many safeguards built into the system, not least the recent appointment of the First Judicial Appointments Commissioner, who has access to every interview, every piece of paper and every meeting in the appointments process.