Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, whether her Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service is the only position sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office which falls under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Andrew Cayley CMG QC is the current Chief Inspector. He was appointed in January 2021 following a fair and open assessment process conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
As set out in the Candidate Pack published on the Cabinet Office Public Appointments website, candidates invited to interview for the position were required to provide two references in advance of the interview.
In addition, as part of the recruitment process Andrew Cayley CMG QC was subject to a pre-appointment hearing with the Justice Select Committee on Thursday 14 January. The committee recommended his appointment and he took up post on 1 April 2021.