Privacy statement

This privacy notice sets out how the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) collects, uses, and protects your personal data.

Who we are

The JAC is an independent public body that selects candidates for judicial office in England and Wales, and for some tribunals with UK-wide powers.

The JAC is the Data Controller for the personal information we process. This means that we collect and process personal data for our own use and in association with our public functions, such as the selection of candidates for judicial office.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with all relevant data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By “personal data,” we mean any information that relates to you as an identified or identifiable individual.

Personal data we collect and why

We only collect and process personal data for use in our own and associated public functions. 

Personal data is information about you as an individual. As part of the application process, we collect the following information: title, current and any previous names, email address, contact numbers, date and place of birth, national insurance number, current and previous addresses, citizenship, VAT registration number, qualifications, employment history, professional membership numbers, and any reasonable adjustments requests.

We also request the following information for the purposes of diversity monitoring: professional background, current and previous legal roles, whether you have held a fee-paid judicial roles, the type of school you attended, parental occupation and education, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or faith, attendance or participation in JAC or partner events and schemes.

We collect information relevant under our Good Character guidance, You will need to declare any cautions or convictions you have received for criminal offences (including motoring offences from the past four years), any findings against you in civil proceedings, any ongoing civil or criminal proceedings against you, any fixed penalty notices in the past 4 years, whether you have been declared bankrupt, entered into an individual Voluntary Agreement or similar arrangement, filed late tax or VAT returns or made late tax or VAT returns, ever been fined by HMRC or if HMRC has enquired into your tax affairs and any findings against you, or any ongoing proceedings against you, in relation to professional conduct. We undertake checks with relevant bodies to confirm the information you provide to us. The list of other organisations can be found below.

The specific information collected is dependent on the exercise and may include some or all of the listed information.

This data is collected and processed for the purpose of complying with the JAC’s statutory obligations to select candidates for recommendation for judicial office on merit, having regard to diversity, and recommending only candidates of good character.

Where we collect information

Judicial Application & Selection – Personal data is collected via the JAC’s Digital Recruitment Platform and is used to support the assessment, selection, and recommendation of candidates.

Independent Assessors – We collect and process personal data (including contact details) of people nominated by candidates to act as independent assessors. The assessments provided are stored on the JAC Digital Recruitment Platform and used by the selection panels in assessing candidates.

Selection Panel Members – We process personal data relating to JAC Commissioners and lay panel members, for the purposes of managing their appointment, participation in selection exercises, and processing expenses and payments.

Support schemes – We run various support schemes, including the Targeted Outreach programme and the Judicial Guides scheme. Personal data is collected and stored on JAC systems outside of the JAC’s Digital Recruitment Platform. This ensures there is an information barrier between those applying and taking part in these schemes and the judicial application and selection process.

Candidate Interview Recordings – To support auditing and compliance processes, candidate interviews are recorded and securely stored for a period of 12 months following the conclusion of the selection exercise.

Cookies & Analytics – Cookies are small data files stored on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) when you visit a website.

We use cookies to ensure our site functions properly and to gather insights into how you interact with our services. Full details on how we use cookies can be found on our cookie policy page.

Qualifying Test – In addition, when candidates undertake an online qualifying test, we collect data concerning the candidate’s operating system and web browser, to best ensure the qualifying test platform is compatible with the widest range of operating systems and web browsers, and to assist with troubleshooting

Feedback – We may want to contact you throughout the recruitment process to obtain feedback on our services or to ask whether you would be willing to take part in

research undertaken or supported by the JAC.

Good Character checks – Candidates are assessed in line with our good character guidance. These checks may include financial, criminal, professional and social media checks in advance of any recommendation for appointment.

How we use your information

We use your personal data for several purposes, including:

• Assessing and processing applications for judicial appointment.
• Communicating with applicants, Judicial Guides, and other stakeholders.
• Fulfilling our statutory obligations to support diversity and inclusion, as set out in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
• Monitoring and improving our services, including our website.
• Meeting our legal and regulatory obligations.

We know how important it is to protect your privacy and to comply with data protection laws. We will safeguard your personal data and will only disclose it where it is lawful to do so, or with your consent.

Who we share information with

We sometimes need to share the personal information we process with the individual themselves and with other organisations. Where this is necessary, we will comply with all aspects of the data protection laws. The organisations we share some aspects of your personal information with may include:

• The judiciary (for statutory consultation)
• Independent assessors (the individuals nominated by you)
• HMRC (for tax and financial information)
• ACRO Criminal Records Office (for criminal record checks)
• Professional bodies, including relevant regulatory bodies (for conduct verification)
• Judicial Office and/or the Ministry of Justice (for matters relating to the appointment of judges and judicial support schemes)
• The Welsh Government (for matters relating to the appointment of candidates to some Welsh devolved tribunals)
• The Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman (where candidates escalate a complaint to the Ombudsman following consideration of the complaint by the JAC in the first instance)
• Law enforcement, regulators, or other government bodies (where legally required).

Retention

Personal data is retained only for as long as is necessary in accordance with our retention schedule.

Access to personal information

You can find out if we hold any personal data about you by making a Subject Access Request (SAR). Under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) you have the right to be told (when you ask) if we are processing your data and what we do with it, as well as a copy of the data itself.

We have an exemption relating to data about judicial appointments that has carried over from the Data Protection Act 1998 to the GDPR provisions.

To make a subject access request you can write to Subject Access Request Officer, by email at FOIA@judicialappointments.gov.uk

Or you can write to us by post at:

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information

Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy notice, the information we hold about you, or how we handle this information:

Contact Details

We have appointed a Data Protection Officer. To get in touch, please contact:

Data Protection Officer, Judicial Appointments Commission, 12th Floor, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ. Email: FOIA@judicialappointments.gov.uk

If you have any further concerns about how we handle your information, you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who regulate compliance with data protection legislation: https://ico.org.uk/