Judicial Appointments Commission

The Judicial Appointments Commission selects candidates for judicial office in England and Wales, and for some tribunals with UK-wide powers.

It is our statutory duty to select people on merit, who are of good character. We believe the judiciary should reflect the society it serves and we aim to attract diverse applicants from a wide field. We work closely with a range of organisations to promote vacancies to all those who are eligible.

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Announcements

Latest High Court Appointment

21 September 2021

Judicial Office has today announced the appointment of Andrew Ritchie QC as a High Court Judge, following an open competition run by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).

Andrew will take up his news role on 1 October 2021.

This is the fourth announcement of High Court Judge appointments this year. Further High Court announcements will be made over the coming months.

You can find out more about the new appointees by reading their biographies.

Appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal

woman holding sword statue during daytime31 August 2021

The Queen has approved the appointment of one Lady Justice and two Lord Justices of Appeal.

The Lord Chancellor asked the Judicial Appointments Commission to convene a selection panel earlier this year to make recommendations in order to fill vacancies which have arisen in the Court of Appeal.

Following this exercise, the Queen approved the appointment of Mrs Justice Whipple as a Lady Justice of Appeal and Mr Justice William Davis and Mr Justice Snowden as Lord Justices of Appeal.

Read the full announcement and biographies on the judiciary website.

Judicial Appointments Commission Annual Report and accounts 2020-21

21 July 2021

The Commission’s annual report and accounts have been laid before Parliament and published today.  The report contains a range of information about the work of the Commission  from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021.

The number of judicial appointments made this year was 869, continuing the record volume of appointments seen last year. In these last three years we have seen the highest numbers of appointments since the Commission was established.

Read the annual report.

Read more

The Board of Commissioners

The Commission

Members come from a wide background to ensure the Commission has a breadth of knowledge, expertise and independence.

The Chairman of the Commission is a lay member. 

Of the 14 other Commissioners:

  • 6 must be judicial members (including 2 tribunal judges)
  • 2 must be professional members (each of which must hold a qualification listed below but must not hold the same qualification as each other)
  • 5 must be lay members
  • 1 must be a non-legally qualified judicial member

The legal qualifications are:

  • Barrister in England and Wales
  • Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives

Appointment of Commissioners

Professor Lord Ajay Kakkar

Chairman

Lay Commissioner

Lord Kakkar was appointed JAC Chairman on 3 October 2016. He was reappointed for a further 3 years from 2 October 2019.

He is Professor of Surgery, University College London, Chairman of University College London Partners Academic Health Science Partnership and Director of the Thrombosis Research Institute, London.

Lord Kakkar was created a Life Peer in 2010 and sits on the cross benches of the House of Lords. He served as Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission from 2013 to 2018, and was appointed a member of the Privy Council in December 2014.

Reappointment of Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission