Law Lord gives strong backing for judicial selection reform

A law lord this week became the first member of the judiciary to back the establishment of an independent judicial appointments commission to replace 'secret soundings' in the selection of QCs and the judiciary.Lord Steyn was chairing a lecture by Dr Kate Malleson, the academic who recently reported on judicial appointment for the Lord Chancellor's Department (see [2000] Gazette, 22 June, 3).Lord Steyn said the establishment of a commission was necessary to provide 'democratic legitimacy' for the judiciary.

He said he hoped this was a 'listening government', and warned that the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, should not simply establish an appointments committee with no real power.A spokesman for the Lord Chancellor's Department said such a commission has never been ruled out, but added that Lord Irvine is yet to be persuaded that it should be established.

A commissioner for judicial appointments - who will assume an ombudsman-type role rather than have involvement in selection - will be appointed later this year.A Law Society spokesman welcomed the support of Lord Steyn for a commission, saying: 'The Law Society calls on the Lord Chancellor to put an end to secret soundings.'

Jeremy Fleming