Judicial Appointments Commission adds lawyer seat
A small but important change to how judges are chosen takes effect this week. The Judicial Appointments Commission (Amendment) Regulations 2025-made by Lord Chancellor David Lammy on 16 December 2025, agreed by the Lady Chief Justice on 15 December, and in force from 17 December-update who sits on the Judicial Appointments Commission, according to legislation.gov.uk.
If you’re new to the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), it is the independent public body that runs open competitions and recommends candidates for judicial office in England and Wales and for some UK‑wide tribunals. It was set up by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 to make selection fair, transparent and based on merit.
First, the Commission grows from 15 to 16 members. Regulation 4 also continues to require seven Commissioners to be holders of judicial office, with one of those being a senior tribunal office‑holder. The extra seat increases capacity without changing that judicial requirement.
Second, the mix of legal professionals is clarified. There will now be three Commissioners who are practising or employed as lawyers, and they must each hold a different qualification: one must be a barrister in England and Wales, one a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, and one a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). This replaces the previous two‑lawyer requirement and recognises all three professional routes.
This matters for civic literacy because it shows how our legal professions fit together. Barristers often specialise in advocacy and advice; solicitors typically manage cases and client care; chartered legal executives build deep expertise in particular fields and increasingly sit as judges. Writing each route into the JAC helps ensure a broader spread of experience when appointments policy is set.
Third, the pool for the ‘senior tribunal office‑holder’ seat widens. Eligible roles now include Deputy Chamber Presidents of the First‑tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal where they have been substantively appointed under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, salaried members of the Upper Tribunal (including those transferred in), and certain judges of the Employment Appeal Tribunal listed in the Employment Tribunals Act 1996. In short, more senior tribunal leaders can serve.
Why open that pool? Tribunals decide many everyday issues-employment rights, tax, immigration, welfare benefits. Bringing more tribunal leadership into the JAC’s membership should improve insight into specialist recruitment and help the Commission match selection to the realities of high‑volume jurisdictions.
A quick media‑literacy reminder. A Statutory Instrument is a form of secondary legislation used to update or flesh out Acts of Parliament. This one was approved by both Houses before being made, extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and takes effect the day after it was made. The explanatory note also records that no full impact assessment was produced because no significant effects are expected on the public, private or voluntary sectors.
As learners and teachers, we can read this as a case study in checks and balances. Parliament signs off the change; the Lady Chief Justice agrees; and the executive then implements it. Next, watch for the JAC and the Ministry of Justice to appoint the additional lawyer Commissioner and make use of the wider tribunal eligibility in upcoming selection rounds.