User:Johnhousefriday/Judicial appointments in the United Kingdom

The system of judicial appointments in the United Kingdom varies between the country's three jurisdictions: England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Appointments are generally made by the Queen on the advice of relevant ministers, who receive recommendations from advisory committees. Each jurisdiction has its own advisory committee: the Judicial Appointments Commission in England and Wales, the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission and the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland. Appointments to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom are made through a selection process involving all three legal systems.

Supreme Court

Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Queen through the issue of letters patent, on the advice of the Prime Minister, who receives a recommendation from a selection commission comprising the President and Deputy President of the Court, along with one member from each of the appointments committees in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.^[1] The commission consults the other judges of the Supreme Court, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Master of the Rolls, the Lord President of the Court of Session, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, the Lord Justice Clerk, the President of the Queen's Bench Division, the President of the Family Division, the Chancellor of the High Court, the Lord Chancellor, the First Minister of Scotland, the First Minister for Wales and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland before providing a report with its final recommendation to the Lord Chancellor, who is entitled to veto this selection twice before being compelled by the Act to recommend the name to the Prime Minister, who is in turn compelled to recommend this name to the Queen. The selection must be made on merit and ensuring that the judges will have between them knowledge and experience of all three of the UK's distinct legal systems. The nominee is not required to have previous experience as a judge.