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What we do
The Belfast Agreement (1998) provided for a wide-ranging review
of criminal justice in Northern Ireland.The establishment of
the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission flows from
the Criminal Justice Review, which recommended a better way of
appointing judges by giving responsibility for identifying the
best candidate to an independent Judicial Appointments
Commission (NIJAC).
The Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission has
five key roles:
- To conduct the appointments process and make
recommendations to the Lord Chancellor in respect of all
listed judicial appointments up to and including High Court
Judge.
- To recommend candidates solely on the basis of merit.
- To engage in a programme of action to secure, so far as
it is reasonably practicable to do so, that appointments to
judicial office are such that those holding such offices are
reflective of the community in Northern Ireland.
- To engage in a programme of action to secure, so far as
it is reasonably practicable to do so, that a range of
persons reflective of the community in Northern Ireland is
available for consideration by the Commission whenever it is
required to select a person to be appointed, or recommended
for appointments, to a listed judicial office.
- To publish an annual report setting out the activities
and accounts for the past year.
Specific roles and responsibilities
The Commission staff are responsible for the management and
development of the following areas of work:
Ensuring all aspects of the appointments process is compliant
with employment legislation and adopting Human Resources best
practice to enhance public confidence in the appointment of
judicial office holders in Northern Ireland.
It is important to note that the Commission only selects and
recommends individuals who are suitable for judicial office. The
appointing body is the
Northern
Ireland Court Service.
Ensuring that the appointments process is communicated to the
widest possible pool of potential candidates and that no-one is
discriminated against on the grounds of the gender, race, age,
sexual orientation, community background, disability or
political opinion.
Ensuring that all accountability functions of the Commission
(both financial and legal) are carried out in a professional
manner and that all statutory responsibilities are fulfilled. |
