Partners
JAC takes a partnership approach to all of its work. This section sets out some of our main partners, and how our work relates to theirs.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
The MoJ is responsible, among other things, for the overall running our courts and improving the justice system, driving forward the reform and consistent improvement of the legal and justice system in England and Wales.
Once JAC has selected a judicial candidate, the appointment is made by the Lord Chancellor.
The Lord Chancellor is committed to ensuring a judiciary of the highest calibre, with candidates drawn from the widest possible range of available talent. In partnership with the JAC and the judiciary, the aim is to increase public confidence in the justice system through a judiciary that better reflects and has a greater understanding of the society it serves.
The Directorate of Judicial Offices of England and Wales (DJO)
The DJO was created alongside JAC on 3 April 2006, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. It incorporates the Judicial Office, the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) and the Judicial Communications Office.
Under the Act, the Lord Chief Justice became head of the judiciary in England and Wales and is responsible for 40 000 judicial office-holders.
The Lord Chief Justice represents the views of the judiciary, maintains appropriate arrangements for their welfare, training and guidance and oversees arrangements for the deployment of judges.
Judicial Studies Board (JSB)
The JSB, part of the DJO (see above), is directly responsible for training full and part-time judges in England and Wales, and for overseeing the training of magistrates and chairmen and members of tribunals.
The Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman (JACO)
JACO investigates complaints about the judicial appointments process and the handling of matters involving judicial discipline or conduct. The Ombudsman's office also assumed its responsibilities on 3 April 2006. It is completely independent of the Government and the judiciary.
Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC)
The OJC supports the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice in their joint responsibility for the system of judicial complaints and discipline. It seeks to ensure that all judicial disciplinary issues are dealt with consistently, fairly and efficiently.
Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) and The Tribunals Service
HMCS and The Tribunals Service are executive agencies of the DCA. They are JAC's main customers, as they are the organisations on whose behalf we select candidates.
HMCS provides administration and support for the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the Crown Court, the magistrates' courts, the county courts and the Probate Service. The Tribunals Service provides the common administrative support to the 21 main central government tribunals.
The Law Society and Bar Council
Most of the eligible candidates for judicial offices are solicitors and barristers. We therefore work closely with The Law Society and The Bar Council.
We are working with the bodies to encourage their members to consider a judicial career and on ways of increasing diversity and widening the pool of eligible candidates that we can select from.
There are of course many non-legal judicial office holders and we work closely with many professional bodies and other associations.
The Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland and The Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission
We also work closely with our corresponding bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland.