Appendix 2 Judicial self-governance
Body
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Role
Governance
Senior President of
Tribunals*
Head of the judiciary and president of the courts of England and Wales; representing the views of the judiciary to Parliament and ministers; welfare training and guidance of the judiciary; deployment and allocation of work within the courts
Decision-making about judicial appointments: see Crime and Courts Bill 2012
‘the independent and statutory leader of the tribunal judiciary'
Decision-making about deployment and appointments to the tribunal judiciary: see Crime and Courts Bill 2012
New functions conferred on office of
LCJ by CRA 2005 s 7
Office created by Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, s 2.
‘The office... is independent of both the Executive and the Chief Justices'Reporting duties/activities
Periodic formal reports (latest one covers period January 2010 to June 2012); annual 45 minute press conference, transcript published; information on judiciary website
Power to lay written representations before Parliament on ‘matters of importance relating to the judiciary, or otherwise to the administration of justice': CRA 2005, s 5
Formal annual report to LC: Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, s 43
Other annual report (see above); page on judiciary website
Other judicial leadership posts, not set out in detail here, include: the Master of the Roles, Heads of Division, Head and deputy head of criminal justice; head and deputy head of family justice, senior presiding judge.
Judicial Executive Board (JEB)
Judicial Office
To support LCJ in executive and leadership responsibilities
To support LCJ by civil servants including ‘professional trainers, legal advisers, HR and communication experts, policy makers and administrators'
LCJ, 8 other senior judges and chief executive
Led by a chief executive ‘who reports to the LJC rather than to ministers, and its work is directed by the judiciary rather than the administration of the day'
Page on judiciary website
Annual business plan published on judiciary website
| Body | Role |
| Judicial College (part of | to ensure that high quality training is |
| Judicial Office) | delivered to enable those who discharge judicial functions to carry out their duties effectively, in a way which preserves j udicial independence and supports public confidence in the justice system’ |
| Judges’ Council | • to be a body broadly representative of the j udiciary as a whole which will inform and advise the Lord Chief Justice on matters as requested from time to time’ • Selects judicial members of JAC • Judicial input on resourcing of courts |
| Association of HM | "gives pastoral advice and assistance to its |
| District Judges | members. It also represents the district bench in varied discussions and meetings with the senior judiciary, HMCS and many other organisations’ |
| Governance | Reporting duties/activities |
| an independent j udicial body and part of the Judicial Office’ it "draws its funds, staff and much of its corporate support directly from the MoJ’ | Prospectus published on judiciary website |
| Meets 4 times a year; Standing Committees and working groups meet as required. | Annual report published in 2009 (but none in 2010 or 2011). |
Membership: JEB members plus 17 other judges from all levels
| National committee, with six officers | Web page j udiciary website |
{Continued}
Appendix 2 Continued
| Body | Role | Governance | Reporting duties/activities |
| Association of High Court Masters | ‘The association will represent the views, interests, opinions and resolutions of the Masters to the Lord Chief Justice and other judicial office-holders’ | No information | Brief statement on judiciary website |
| Council of HM Circuit Judges | ‘collects the views of circuit judges, and acts on their behalf by negotiating with the government on matters such as salaries and other terms of service’ | National committee | Web page judiciary website |
| UK Association of Women Judges | ‘The UKAWJ is the only organisation for the judiciary that is primarily concerned with issues that affect women’ | Unofficial membership organisation. President: Baroness Hale | Own website |
* The LC and judiciary have agreed that there should be a single head of the judiciary in England and Wales; functions of the Senior President of Tribunals will be transferred to the LCJ in forthcoming primary legislation.