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What we do - Governance
Who governs the work of the Northern Ireland Judicial
Appointments Commission?
The Chief Executive of the Commission, Edward Gorringe, is
designated as the Commission's Accounting Officer by the
Northern Ireland Court Service.
What are his principal duties?
The Chief Executive is personally responsible for
safeguarding the public funds for which he has charge; for
ensuring propriety and regularity in the handling of those
public funds; and for the day-to-day operations and management
of the Commission.
The Chief Executive is also responsible for ensuring that a
system of risk management is maintained to inform decisions on
financial and operational planning and to assist in achieving
objectives and targets.
Furthermore, he ensures that adequate internal management and
financial controls are maintained by the Commission, including
effective measures against fraud and theft.
The Chief Executive is supported by the Governance and
Accountability Team, which is primarily responsible for the
provision of services that support the work of the management
and staff in the Commission. The team have five main functions:
Finance, Liaison with sponsorship department, Audit and Risk
Management, Governance and Corporate Publications.
What role does the Audit and Risk Management Committee
play?
To maintain internal and stewardship controls within the
Commission, which meet central government guidelines, the Audit
and Risk Management Committee supports the Commission in their
responsibility for issues of risk, control and governance and
associated assurances. The Committee, inter alia, advises the
Commission on:
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The strategic process for risk (monitored through our risk
register), control and governance and the statement of
Internal control;
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The accounting policies, the accounts, the process of
reviewing accounts prior to submission for audit, and levels
of error identified;
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The planned activity and results of both the External and
Internal Audit;
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Adequacy of management response to issues identified by
audit activity, including External Audit's letter to those
charged with governance and
- Assurances relating to the corporate governance
requirements of the organisation.
Does the Commission also work with the Court Service's Internal
Audit Service in this regard?
Internal audit services are provided by the Court Service's
Internal Audit Service (IAS), which operates to the Government
Internal Audit Standards, under the terms of an agreed service
level agreement. Findings from the work of IAS, risks
identified through the organisation's Risk Management System and
feedback from our external auditors are considered by both the
Audit and Risk Management Committee and executive management to
ensure that there is ongoing review and revision of the control
framework of the organisation.Risk Management is also
considered through the review of the Corporate Risk Register and
the Corporate Plan monitoring process. This includes a regular
review of attendant risks thus ensuring that risk management has
been incorporated fully into the corporate planning and
decision-making processes of the Commission.
How does the Commission monitor other work and policy areas?
Adherence to the Commission's suite of human and other
resource policies is monitored, as is adherence to the
Management Statement and Financial Memorandum, which has been
agreed with the sponsor department, and to the Standing Orders
and Terms of Reference of the Commission and the Committees of
the Commission.
Roles, responsibilities and standards for Commissioners are
set out in a Code of Practice, while a Code of Conduct applies
to all Commission staff.
Commissioners and senior staff also complete a Register of
Interests and a Gifts and Hospitality Register.
Accountability
The Commission is audited annually by the Northern Ireland
Audit Office.
Following the audit the Commission publishes an Annual Report
and Accounts which is laid before Parliament. An annual Business
Plan which sets out our objectives and milestones for each year
is also published.
Under Schedule 2 of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002
each Annual Report must include equity monitoring information
on persons who have applied and persons who have been selected
to be appointed or recommended for appointment by the Commission
during the financial year to which it relates. However, the
report must not identify any person or include information from
which the identity of any person could be readily ascertained.
Recommendations on whom to appoint or who to recommend for
appointment to judicial office are made to the Lord Chancellor.
The Judicial Appointments Ombudsman, Mr Karamjit Sukhmindar
Singh CBE, was appointed by the Queen on 25 September 2006 to
investigate complaints in the judicial appointments process. To
visit the website of the Judicial Appointments Ombudsman click
here. The Commission is also held accountable through
Parliamentary questions and Freedom of Information Act and Data
Protection Act queries. |
