Six new members have been appointed to the Judicial Appointments Commission, which selects judges in England and Wales. They are Christopher Bones, Anthony Harnden, Clare McGlynn, Noel Arnold, Uchechi Igbokwe and Tanweer Ikram. Their biographies appear later in this piece. Their appointments are for a period of three years.
The commission has 15 members. Twelve of them, including the chair, are chosen by open competition. The other three are chosen by the judiciary.
The chair is always a lay member. Of the remaining 14, seven must be holders of judicial office; five must be lay members; and two must be working lawyers. The most senior judicial commissioner — the vice-chair — is a member of the Court of Appeal. The most junior is a lay magistrate.
The current vice-chair is Lord Justice Warby. It’s an influential job: two of his predecessors leapfrogged more senior judges to become chief justice of England and Wales.
The challenge the commission has faced is finding enough top-quality candidates for the many appointments it has to fill. And the main problem with the system seems to be delay. As far as I can see, the commission cannot anticipate vacancies. And yet it is almost inevitable that an appointment to a senior position will leave a gap to be filled one level down. That post may remain unfilled for months while the selection process takes place.
Apart from that, the system seems to work well. You would not want a self-perpetuating oligarchy where judges appoint people in their own image. Equally, you would not want a system that ignores the wealth of knowledge that judges have of those who seek appointment or promotion. And you would certainly not want any political interference in the process.
So a board that’s finely balanced between judges and lay people strikes me as a reasonable compromise. But the people listed below now have huge responsibilities. Let’s hope they exercise them wisely.
New appointments
Christopher Bones: Since 2018, chair of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and a non-executive director at three other organisations. He is a non-lawyer who has been appointed to expert and advisory panels and worked on Lord Bellamy’s criminal legal aid review. A member of the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board from 2022-2023.
Anthony Harnden: Since 1990, principal in general practice for Morland House Surgery in Oxfordshire. Since 2002, a fellow of St Hugh’s College, Oxford. Since 2006, the GP member on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Since 2014, a professor of primary care at the University of Oxford. Since 2017, a council member and chairman of the remuneration committee of the General Medical Council.
Clare McGlynn: Since 2004, professor of law at the University of Durham with particular expertise in the legal regulation of online abuse and sexual offending. Appointed an honorary King’s Counsel in 2020 in recognition of her work championing equality in the legal profession and the influence of her research in shaping new criminal laws. In 2019, appointed a member of parliament’s independent expert panel.
Noel Arnold: A solicitor since April 2006. Judge of the first-tier tribunal (social entitlement chamber) since April 2020, having previously been a fee-paid (part-time) judge in the same jurisdiction. Co-chair of the Association of Lawyers for Children from 2017-2019 and a committee member of the Law Society’s children law sub-committee for 10 years. A member of the Senior President of Tribunals’ diversity task force.
Uchechi Igbokwe: Since 2004, a consultant histopathologist for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. Since 2018, clinical lead for histopathology and clinical director of pathology. A magistrate since 2006 and a presiding justice in both the adult criminal court and the family panel for more than 10 years.
Tanweer Ikram: Deputy senior district judge (chief magistrate) since 2017. Previously, from 2009, district judge (magistrates’ courts). Former associate judge on the Sovereign Base Area of Episkopi and Dhekelia (in Cyprus). Called to the bar in 1990 and now a bencher at Inner Temple. A solicitor since 1993. Deputy lead diversity and community relations judge since 2004. Appointed CBE in 2022 for services to judicial diversity.
Hi Joshua
I'm looking at this and thinking that the problem might be in the definition of 'Lay'. I am not seeing anybody here who didn't progress to higher education. While I understand having a GP means having some 'hands on work' might I suggest that perhaps it might be better to include the BBC Sports personality of the year? This might be one of the times when a celebrity who is famous for being famous might be an appropriate choice.
The inclusion of judicial officers mean the bench is well represented but I'm looking at the list and thinking a lot of the population are not represented and probably not understood.
I'm also wondering if they are truly independent as it seems this might be used as a stepping stone to something else. Are they really going to bite the hand that feeds them?