JAC Commissioners - who are independent
of government and the civil service - have the corporate responsibility for
ensuring that the JAC fulfils its role under the 2005 Constitutional Reform Act
so that recruitment to the judiciary is made on merit on the basis of fair and
open competition. Commissioners are accountable to Parliament through the Lord
Chancellor.
The Commissioners, currently under the
leadership of Helen Pitcher OBE - the Chair of the JAC - have five core
activities:
•
To attend Commission meetings ten times per year in
London, bringing their experience and judgement to bear on a range of important
strategy, governance and policy issues. Each Commissioner is normally expected
to also serve on one or two sub-Committees or working groups, each meeting remotely
up to five times a year typically for a couple of hours at a time;
•
To select candidates for judicial appointment based
on the selection exercise programme agreed with His Majesty’s Courts and
Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Ministry of Justice. The Commission considers
all of the information provided, including the assessments of the selection
panel convened by the JAC, before making a decision as to who will be
recommended to the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice or the Senior
President of Tribunals for appointment;
•
One or more Commissioners will also be assigned to
oversee each selection process. With the exception of appointments to the High
Court or above, they will not generally sit on individual selection panels, but
will ensure that the process is followed, and will be part of the process that
makes the final recommendation of suitable candidates;
•
To ensure that recruitment for all exercises is
open, fair and the best person for the job is recommended for appointment,
Commissioners will regularly review the selection processes used to ensure that
they are fit for purpose; and
•
To ensure that the JAC undertakes its statutory
duty of having regard to the need to encourage diversity in the range of
persons available for selection for appointments. In doing so it is expected
that Commissioners take part in external events, including speaking at
seminars, conferences and meetings, and making presentations to key interested
parties, individuals and groups.
The Commissioners work closely with JAC staff
who undertake the day-to-day process of selecting candidates to the judiciary.
Duties
The main
responsibilities of the Commissioners are to:
- Maintain
the values of the JAC, particularly selection on merit on the basis of fair and
open competition;
- Oversee
a number of selection exercises ensuring that the most suitable candidates are
recommended for appointment to either the Lord Chancellor, Lord Chief Justice
or Senior President of Tribunals;
- Take
part in and influence debates about the strategic objectives, performance and
constitutional role of the JAC; and
- Promote
the JAC and to have regard to the need to encourage diversity in the range of
persons available for selection for appointments.
The successful
candidate will have the ability to:
- Work
as a member of a body of Commissioners, through plenary and sub-Committee
discussions, who are respected for their professionalism, valued for their
contribution, and who constantly seek ways to improve their performance and
that of those with whom they work in partnership;
- Develop
strategy for the Commission;
- Work
constructively with HMCTS and MoJ, while upholding JAC values and the integrity
of the selection process; and
- Carry
the confidence of JAC’s key interested parties by ensuring that the most
suitable candidates are recommended for appointment, with lay members taking
part in selection panels for the most senior judicial appointments.
