New selection process to attract minorities to the bench

Monday, 14 July 2003 12:00 AM

The Government is today expected to propose a new career framework for judges to try to encourage more young people, women and minorities to join the bench.

The Constitutional Affairs Secretary Lord Falconer is expected to announce that five non lawyers are to become involved in the selection process. He is also expected to say that the new judicial appointments commission will be headed by a layman and not the lord chief justice.

Critics of these wide ranging and controversial changes say that this will lead to more political interference. To counter this, Lord Falconer, who was appointed Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor in the last cabinet reshuffle, is expected to announce that a constitutional affairs secretary will be appointed to protect the independence of the judiciary both in and outside the government.

Outlining plans for a supreme court to replace the Lords as the highest court in the land, which should be running before the next election, Lord Falconer said that one of its main purposes will be to deal with disputes between London and the devolved bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, currently handled by the Privy Council.

Responding to critics, Lord Falconer has said that the new court will not be on the scale of the US Supreme Court and will not be able to reject primary legislation.

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