Debora Matthews has been appointed as the first Director of the Judicial Office for England and Wales. Currently Executive Director at the Judicial Studies Board, Ms Matthews will take up her new appointment on 1 November 2005.
The Judicial Office is being raised to support the Lord Chief Justice and the senior judiciary from April 2006 in their new roles following implementation of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, said: “I warmly welcome Debora and my judicial colleagues and I are looking forward to working with her. Under her leadership the Judicial Office will play a key role in helping judges to manage their new administrative and constitutional responsibilities.”
The Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, said: “This is a key appointment to an important post. It is vital to our constitutional position that judicial independence is upheld and maintained. I am confident the judiciary will be well supported by Debora in their new administrative and constitutional roles, and I wish her well in her new post.”
Ms Mathews said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this post. I look forward to the challenges of setting up an important new organisation which will play a vital role in maintaining judicial independence.”
Notes to Editors:
- Debora Matthews (43) is currently Executive Director of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB). In 1999 she joined the Lord Chancellor’s Department on secondment from Inland Revenue as Principal Private Secretary to the Lord Chancellor. In November 2001 she joined the Court Service HQ to manage their Criminal Courts Development Division and, simultaneously, to negotiate with all three criminal justice departments the SR2002 joint criminal justice bid for the reforms arising out of the Auld Report. She took over policy responsibility for the unified courts administration programme in July 2002 which resulted in the launch of HM Courts Service in April 2004. She was appointed Executive Director at the JSB in May 2003. During 1997 and 1998 she was a UK Fulbright Fellow at the Hubert H Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota.
- From 3 April 2006 the new Judicial Office, as an Associated Office of the , will provide direct support to the Lord Chief Justice and the judiciary. Based at the Royal Courts of Justice in London the Office will assist the senior judiciary in their roles and responsibilities under the Constitutional Reform Act 2004, including:
- the Lord Chief Justice's new role as Head of the Judiciary;
- judicial deployment;
- judges' well being; and
- their conduct and discipline.
- The Director will be responsible for the Judicial Studies Board also for the Judicial Communications Office set up in April 2005 to provide external and internal communications facilities for judicial office holders in England and Wales.
Ends
