Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, today welcomed the new constitutional arrangements which come into force on 3 April under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
With the implementation of the Act, the Lord Chief Justice assumes the leadership of the judiciary of England and Wales, a role which has formerly been part of the responsibilities of the Lord Chancellor.
“I want to pay tribute to the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, for his stewardship of the judiciary. His unfailing support for judges and for judicial independence has been greatly appreciated throughout his time in office, and I look forward to continuing a constructive dialogue with him as we enter new constitutional territory. I also want to place on record his unstinting support for the magistracy during his term of office – they are an integral and valued part of the judicial family, and I look forward to continuing his work in this area.”
“The constitutional reforms, most of which come into force on 3 April give transparent effect to the doctrine of the separation of powers.
“As head of the judiciary my responsibilities include representing the views of the judiciary of England and Wales to Parliament, the Lord Chancellor and to ministers generally. People ask me whether my role is going to be more ‘political’. I intend to steer clear of politics, but this does not mean steering clear of politicians. Provided the line is properly drawn between what are and what are not proper subjects for discussion, I think that dialogue between the Lord Chief Justice and ministers about the administration of justice is essential.
“Supported by my colleagues, I will have responsibility for discharging some 400 new statutory functions, most of which were previously carried out by the Lord Chancellor, including those relating to deployment of judges, rule making the allocation of work within the courts and many other diverse topic. My major responsibilities include providing appropriate arrangements for the welfare, training and guidance of the judiciary of England and Wales.
My judicial colleagues and I look forward to meeting the challenges of all the new responsibilities.”
Lord Phillips has established a Judicial Executive Board consisting of the most senior judges and will continue to be advised by the Judges’ Council, the judicial forum with members drawn from across the spectrum of judicial office holders, from the Law Lords to the magistracy.
The judiciary will be supported by a new team of officials, the Directorate of Judicial Offices for England and Wales.
Notes for Editors
- The full details of the constitutional reforms are set out inthe 2005 Act.
- A Concordat was agreed between the then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, and Lord Falconer for the division and transfer of judiciary-related functions, and this provides some of the details and principles that apply to the new constitutional relationship. The Concordat can be accessed here.
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