§ Baroness Gibson of Market Rasenasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress the Government have made in implementing the recommendations of Sir Leonard Peach's independent scrutiny report on the appointment processes for judges and Queen's Counsel in England and Wales. [HL1236]
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)I am pleased to announce that Her Majesty yesterday made Orders in Council defining the functions of her Commissioners for Judicial Appointments and appointing Professor Sir Colin Murray Campbell, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, as her First Commissioner for Judicial Appointments. The Commission has commenced its work today. The recruitment of Deputy Commissioners will begin shortly and I hope the first of them will be appointed in the autumn.
Sir Leonard also recommended that a pilot scheme be produced for an assessment centre for judicial appointments. The tendering process will commence shortly to identify consultants who will advise on the design and development of the pilot scheme. Several of 107WA Sir Leonard's other recommendations—such as improvements to the forms used in consultations on candidates for judicial appointment, and to the procedures for appointment to Silk—have already been implemented.