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

JAC Annual Report and accounts 2021-22

15 July 2022

The JAC’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 2021 to 31 March 2022.

During the year, we completed 31 exercises with 8,928 applications and made 1,244 recommendations.

Read the Annual Report

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Latest statistics report gives further insight into diversity in the judiciary

14 July 2022

Today, the Judicial Diversity Forum (JDF), which is chaired by the JAC, has published the annual Combined Diversity Statistics Report.

The combined statistical report, started in 2020, brings together in-depth data from the legal professions, judicial appointments and the current judiciary.

Bringing together this in-depth data in one place enables the JDF to take a collective approach to tackle the challenges of increasing diversity at all levels.

Read more.

Refreshed Strategy 2020-23 and 2022-23 Business Plan published

20 May 2022

Today we have published our refreshed strategy for 2020-23 which incorporates our Business Plan 2022-23.

The Commission Board has reviewed the 2020-23 Strategy and agrees its overall aims remain valid and relevant in the current context for the final year of our 3-year strategy:

  1. Ensure we are a centre of excellence in selection, applying best practice to identify talented candidates with skills and abilities across the entirety of judicial roles
  2. Attract well-evidenced applications from the widest range of high calibre candidates, supporting greater judicial diversity
  3. Ensure the JAC is widely recognised as the trusted expert body on independent, merit-based appointment to the judiciary
  4. Support delivery of Commission aims in line with our values, including by way of a new digital application system and tools.

Our vision is to attract and support the widest range of high calibre candidates for judicial office, and to make independent selections on merit through fair and open competition.

The Business Plan for 2022-23 outlines the key priorities for the final year of the 3-year strategy based on the factors that are likely to affect the JAC over the next year. You can see the final strategy here.

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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