HL Deb 03 May 2001 vol 625 c116WA
Lord Roberts of Conwy

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 23 April (WA 185), whether the First Judicial Appointments Commissioner will have access to papers concerning legal appointments made between 1 May 1997 and the date of appointment of the Commissioner; and whether they will invite him to examine those appointments. [HL1937]

The Lord Chancellor

The new arrangements for the supervision of the judicial and Queen's Counsel appointment procedures by the Commission for Judicial Appointments are prospective, not retrospective. The First Commissioner for Judicial Appointments will only be able to consider complaints arising since 15 March 2001, when he acquired his supervisory function as Commissioner, and he will not be invited to examine appointments made before that date.

Lord Roberts of Conwy

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 23 April (WA 185) whether the First Judicial Appointments Commissioner will have access to papers, meetings and interviews concerning the appointments of magistrates. [HL1938]

The Lord Chancellor

The appointments of lay magistrates are expressly excluded from the remit of the First Commissioner for Judicial Appointments, as the procedures for those appointments are materially different from those for the professional judiciary. The Commissioner's remit does, however, extend to the appointments of District Judges (Magistrates' Courts).