§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department who(a) sits on and (b) appoints those who sit on the Law Commission; and what criteria are used to select those who sit on it. [32566]
§ Mr. WillsThe Law Commission is an advisory non-departmental public body which is governed by the Law Commissions Act 1965. The 1965 Act requires the Lord Chancellor to appoint five Commissioners of which one is the Chairman. Currently the Chairman is Lord Justice Carnwath CVO, and the Commissioners are: Professor Hugh Beale; Judge Alan Wilkie QC; Professor Martin Partington and Mr. Stuart Bridge.
The 1965 Act further requires that the Commissioners be chosen from those who are either a holder of judicial office, or a barrister, or a solicitor or a teacher of law in a university. The Lord Chancellor also considers the 1022W specialist skills, experience and expertise of prospective Commissioners against the requirements of the Commission's programme of work.