- Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland
The Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland is
public body responsible for making recommendations on appointments to judicial offices inScotland . It commenced work in June 2002 under the Chairmanship of Sir Neil McIntosh CBE DL, and is appointed by theScottish Ministers and is aquango of theScottish Government . [Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland: cite web|title=About the Board |url=http://www.judicialappointmentsscotland.gov.uk/judicial/JUD_Main.jsp?pContentID=438&p_applic=CCC&pMenu0=44&p_service=Content.show&|publisher=Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland |accessdate=2007-11-19] All recommendations are made to theFirst Minister of Scotland , who must consult theLord President of the Court of Session before making his or her recommendation to theQueen of the United Kingdom . [Appointments process: cite web|title=Office of Sheriff |url=http://www.judicialappointmentsscotland.gov.uk/judicial/files/Office_Sheriff.pdf|publisher=Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland |accessdate=2007-11-19]Remit
The Board's remit is to:
*Provide the
First Minister with a list of candidates recommended for appointment to the offices ofSenator of the College of Justice ,Sheriff Principal ,Sheriff and Part-time Sheriff.
*Make such recommendations on merit, but in addition to consider ways of recruiting a Judiciary which is as representative as possible of the communities which they serve.
*Undertake the recruitment and assessment process in an efficient and effective way.The Board comprises 10 members, including the Chairman, who were all appointed by the
Scottish Ministers , to whom the Board is responsible for its activities. There is an even balance of legal and lay members. The Board is serviced by a dedicated Secretariat, based inEdinburgh .Criticism
The method of creating the Board and appointing members was not without criticism. The
Law Society of Scotland in its members' magazine "Journal" was critical that the appointments process did not follow procedures recommended by theCommittee on Standards in Public Life , and the Chair of the Board is a lay member, a situation said to be "unique in Europe", where the norm is for self-governing bodies to control judicial appointments. [Criticism of the Judicial Appointments Board on the ground that it lacks any real authority: cite web|title=The Judicial Appointments Board – a misnomer |url=http://www.journalonline.co.uk/article/1000263.aspx|publisher=Law Society of Scotland |accessdate=2007-11-19]Sir Neil McIntosh, Chair, was critical that the Scottish Executive did not put the Board on a statutory footing, as is the case for the
Judicial Appointments Commission inEngland . [News Release: cite web|title=Judicial Appointments Board |url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2006/11/30152026|publisher=Scottish Government |accessdate=2007-11-19]The Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Bill, introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 30 January 2008, would put the Board on a statutory footing. [ [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/06-JudiciaryCourts/index.htm Scottish Parliament material on Bill] ]
References
External links
* [http://www.judicialappointmentsscotland.gov.uk Official website]
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