Merit and good character
Selection for judicial office must be solely on merit. A person must not be selected unless the Commission or selection panel is satisfied that the person is of good character.
Judicial appointments
Judicial appointment is based on lawful eligibility, merit, good character, independence and a protected selection process.
Judicial Appointments Commission
The Judicial Appointments Commission is an independent statutory body. It is independent of Ministers and of the Judiciary when exercising its selection functions. Its role is to conduct and govern judicial selection, not to decide cases or administer courts.
Diversity
The Commission must encourage diversity in the range of people available for selection. That duty does not displace selection solely on merit.
Fair selection
Selection processes may include applications, eligibility evidence, assessment, references, interviews and consultation. They must provide a fair opportunity to eligible candidates and proportionate accessibility arrangements.
No platform appointment
A person does not acquire judicial office merely because a platform role, court permission or administrative title has been assigned.
Supreme Court appointments
President, Deputy President and Justice vacancies use independent selection commissions. The Lord Chancellor may accept a selection, reject it once on the statutory suitability ground, or require reconsideration once on the permitted grounds. After those stages are exhausted, the law requires acceptance of the selection then lawfully made. Appointment is completed by the Lord Lieutenant through the constitutional appointment route.
Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman
The Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman is an independent statutory office. It may investigate maladministration in a judicial-appointment process after the applicable first-stage complaint route is exhausted. It cannot substitute a candidate or conduct a fresh merits selection.
Appointments complaints do not decide who should have won a competition.
The Ombudsman examines administration and fairness within its statutory jurisdiction; the Commission remains responsible for selection on merit.