Established in April 2006 under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (CRA), the JAC is an executive 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.
The JAC is responsible for designing, planning and conducting recruitment campaigns. In 2018–19, for example, the JAC selected 1,031 candidates for appointment from a varied and diverse pool of candidates. The JAC is also involved in the most senior judicial appointments. Overall, the JAC covers a wide range of legal and non-legal specialisms across England and Wales and tribunals across the UK.
Size and composition of the Board
The composition of the Commission is set out in the Judicial Appointments Commission Regulations 2013 which specify that it should comprise 14 other Commissioners as well as the lay Chairman. This 14 must comprise:
- 7 holders of judicial office (including a non-legally qualified judicial member and holders of specified judicial offices in the courts and tribunals)
- 5 lay members
- 2 professional members selected from the Bar Council, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) or the Law Society.
Biographical information for each current Commissioner is on the JAC website.
Location
The Commission’s office and selection facilities are located at Clive House, 70 Petty France, London, SW1H 9EX.