§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions in the last 12 months she has reprimanded members of the judiciary for their behaviour(a) in court and (b) outside; and if she will make a statement. [150891]
§ Jane KennedyThe Lord Chancellor, as head of the judiciary, is responsible for dealing with all matters of judicial conduct. He takes a firm line with any Judge whose behaviour falls short of what both he and the public expects. There have been seven instances in the past 12 months where the Lord Chancellor has had sufficient cause to reprimand a Judge for his or her behaviour. Six of these cases concerned behaviour in court, and one concerned behaviour outside court. These reprimands have either been in the form of a letter from the Lord Chancellor or, at his instigation, at a meeting between the Judge and the Presiding Judge. In a further case, the Lord Chancellor decided not to re-appoint a Deputy District Judge for a final possible year.