The final decision on which candidates are to be recommended is made by the Selection and Character Committee, which is made up of our Commissioners. The Committee examines any potential character issues that may affect a candidate’s suitability.
It will consider the reports written by the panels, the evidence provided in applications and independent assessments and any comments from statutory consultees.
It is also at this stage that the Committee will decide if the equal merit provision policy should be applied. Where two or more candidates are judged as being of equal merit we can give priority to one or more through our statutory equal merit policy.
The Committee will then recommend candidates to the Appropriate Authority for appointment. One candidate is selected for each vacancy, providing there are sufficient numbers of selectable candidates available.
The Appropriate Authority can accept or reject a recommendation or ask the Commission to reconsider it. If they do not accept a recommendation, written reasons must be provided to the JAC.
When we report our final selections, we must reflect the comments of the statutory consultees. The Appropriate Authority might request further information that we have from the selection process, so in those instances details of your application may be shared.
The Judicial Appointments Regulations 2013