Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will reform the Judicial Appointments Commission to ensure improved (a) transparency and (b) diversity in the appointments process.

The independent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) has a statutory duty under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (CRA) to select candidates for judicial appointment solely on merit and to encourage diversity. Its processes are governed by the CRA and by the Judicial Appointments Regulations 2013. It keeps its selection processes under continual review to ensure they are transparent, fair, and attract talented candidates from a wide range of backgrounds. It publishes its annual report and accounts, independent reviews and appointments data is included in the annual judicial diversity statistics.

The Government is strongly committed to achieving a judiciary which better represents the diversity of the population. In the most recent year for which statistics are available (2023/24), 53% of candidates recommended for appointments to become judicial office holders by the JAC were women and 16% from ethnic minorities, contributing to a more diverse judiciary. The Ministry of Justice, as a member of the Judicial Diversity Forum, works closely with the judiciary, the Judicial Appointments Commission, the Legal Services Board and the three largest legal professions on actions to improve judicial diversity. The Forum’s 2025 action plan (https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Judicial-Diversity-Forum-Priorities-and-Actions-for-2025-Final.pdf) which was published in February, sets out our shared priorities.

Under the CRA, candidates for judicial office can complain to the JAC and subsequently to the independent Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman if they believe that their application for appointment has not been handled appropriately.