Transitional arrangements


From 3 April 2006, JAC assumed responsibility for making selections for the appointment of judicial office-holders (as provided for in Schedule 14 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005), with the following limited exceptions:

  • The Lord Chancellor temporarily retained responsibility for any appointments that might arise to fill any vacancies amongst the Heads of Division and members of the Court of Appeal until 1 October 2006. This allowed time for JAC to consider and implement a suitable process to give effect to the provisions in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 concerning such posts.
  • For a limited period, the Lord Chancellor continues to advise the Queen on the appointment of any vacancies that might arise in the High Court, drawing from the results of the 2005 High Court selection exercise to identify suitable candidates. This arrangement will continue until the list from the Commission's first High Court selection exercise becomes available no later than April 2007.
  • For a limited period, the Lord Chancellor retains responsibility for those selection exercises started by the then Department for Constitutional Affairs (now Ministry of Justice) before April 2006 and which, by April 2006, will have made significant progress. Details of such selection exercises are set out below.

JAC will not assume responsibility for advising on the appointment of magistrates until it indicates that it is ready to do so.

Competitions in progress at 3 April 2006

There were a small number of selection exercises which were still in progress at 3 April 2006 that are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor. These were:

  • Fee paid immigration Judge of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (London and the Regions)
  • Deputy District Judge (Magistrates Court)
  • Recorder competition (South East Circuit)
  • Specialist Chancery Judge Midland Circuit
  • Specialist Mercantile Judge Midland Circuit
  • Lay members of the Mental Health Review Tribunal
  • Salaried Immigration Judge of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Bradford and Stoke 2006)

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