Dear Candidate,
Thank you for expressing an interest in serving
as a Commissioner for the Judicial Appointments Commission in one of the
following roles: Professional (solicitor/CILEX Fellow) Commissioner; Professional
(barrister) Commissioner; or Judicial (Circuit Judge/Senior Circuit Judge) Commissioner.
I am seeking outstanding individuals who possess
personal integrity, sound judgement, discretion, strong communication skills
and powerful analytical skills to serve on the Judicial Appointments Commission
(JAC).
I share the view that our judiciary is among the
very best in the world, unrivalled for its integrity, professionalism and
independence. The JAC is an independent statutory
non-departmental public body established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005
which recommends candidates for appointment, on merit, to the judiciary through
fair and open competition.
These roles provide the opportunity to
contribute to the delivery of judicial appointments of the highest calibre and
to ensure standards are maintained at a time of unprecedented demand for new
judicial appointments. You will be contributing to the JAC’s important role of ensuring appointment to the judiciary is based on merit
from the broadest possible pool of talent.
This is both an exciting and challenging time to
join the JAC. Demand for judicial appointment recommendations will remain
exceptionally high over the next few years as courts and tribunals seek to
recover from the pandemic. The JAC will also seek to build on innovation,
developed during the pandemic, to enhance digital tools that will support this
increased workload. The JAC’s work with the Judicial Diversity Forum and its
work in developing targeted outreach seeks to support a wider more diverse
range of people to apply successfully for judicial appointments.
Information about the JAC, the role of a
Commissioner and the skills and qualities we are seeking for these roles are
set out below. If you have further questions about any aspect of the roles,
please contact Alex McMurtrie, Chief Executive, alex.mcmurtrie@judicialappointments.gov.uk.
If you believe you have the experience and
qualities we are seeking, I hope you consider applying for these important
positions. I welcome applicants from the widest possible field and would very
much look forward to receiving an application from you.
If you have questions about the appointment
process, you can contact the Public Appointments Team at: PublicAppointmentsTeam@Justice.gsi.gov.uk, or call
Colin Barker on 07376 212 108.
Helen Pitcher OBE
Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission
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:
JAC Description:
Established in April 2006 under the Constitutional Reform
Act 2005 (CRA), the JAC is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the
Ministry of Justice. The JAC has a major constitutional role. It selects candidates for judicial
office. It does this through a clear and
accountable process involving fair and open competition. It selects candidates
solely on merit, including good character, and from a pool comprising a wide
range of eligible diverse candidates.
Its remit extends to all courts and tribunals in England
and Wales, up to and including the High Court, and also some tribunals with a
UK-wide jurisdiction across a wide range of legal and non-legal specialisms.
1. Helen Pitcher OBE – Chair
2. Lord Justice Warby - Vice Chair
3. Mr Justice Adam Johnson
4. Judge Greg Sinfield
5. HHJ Anuja Dhir KC
6. VACANT – Judicial
7. VACANT - Judicial
8. Emir Feisal
9. Brie Stevens-Hoare KC
10. Sarah Lee
11. Susan Hoyle
12. Simon Wessely
13. Jane Furniss
14. Andrew Kennon
15. Rt. Rev. Dr
Barry Morgan
This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the
Commissioner’s website