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

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.

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Combined statistics report 2021 gives further insight into diversity in the judiciary

person using MacBook pro15 July 2021

The annual Combined Diversity Statistics Report, published for the first time in September 2020, pulls together in-depth annual data from the legal professions and the judiciary, allowing better analysis and insight into how to improve diversity.

Today the Judicial Diversity Forum (JDF), which is chaired by the JAC, has published combined statistics which report on diversity in the judiciary as of March 2021. The JDF also released an accompanying statement – you can read it here to find out more about the findings of the report.

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Judicial Appointments Commission: review of statutory consultation

woman holding sword statue during daytime

 9 July 2021

Last week, our Chairman, Lord Ajay Kakkar, informed the Justice Select Committee that we will review our approach to statutory consultation to ensure best practice.

Statutory consultation is a legal requirement on the JAC and one aspect of the selection process for judicial appointment which is carefully used alongside a wealth of other evidence to make sure we select only on merit, those of good character.

The review will make sure that we use statutory consultation in in the most appropriate way, and allow us to reassure candidates that we are using it in a fair and clear way in line with our statutory responsibilities.

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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