RECRUITMENT DECISIONS OF THE JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS COMMISSION

Early day motion 782, tabled 30 January 2007 by Keith Vaz (Labour). Signed by 11 members.

That this House is concerned about reports that the Judicial Appointments Commission is reconsidering its recruitment decisions after senior members of the judiciary have made representations on the rejection of some candidates; notes that the Judicial Appointments Commission was established to provide a fair, impartial and representative judiciary; also notes that up to 80 former civil servants of the Department for Constitutional Affairs are seconded to the Commission; further notes that many of these same civil servants were involved in the series of errors which caused the Lord Chancellor to suspend a previous recruitment trawl for judges last year; and calls on the Judicial Ombudsman to investigate this issue as a matter of urgency.

Signatures by party: Labour 7, Conservative 2, Liberal Democrat 2.