JAC launches first selection exercise for Administrative Appeals Chamber

The Judicial Appointments Commission has launched its first exercise to select judges to hear welfare appeals in the Upper Tribunal, Administrative Appeals Chamber.

The selection exercise will see up to eight judges appointed. The tribunal is a specialist court of appeal for social security cases, but also covers areas such as mental health, special educational needs, care standards, cases barring individuals from working with children and vulnerable adults and regulatory matters (including information rights).

The tribunal decides applications for permission to appeal and appeals, almost exclusively on points of law and mainly on paper. The JAC said that as a result there are few oral hearings in social security matters.

The JAC is looking to select both salaried and deputy (fee-paid) judges. There will be two salaried and up to four fee-paid posts in the new Rolls Building in London and two fee-paid posts in Edinburgh.

The positions are open to UK solicitors, barristers and advocates with at least seven years’ post-qualification experience, as well as to others with relevant legal expertise such as academics.

“The Lord Chancellor expects that candidates for the salaried posts will have sufficient directly relevant previous judicial experience,” the JAC said. “Exceptions may be made for those who have demonstrated the necessary skills in some other significant way.”

For the fee-paid posts in Edinburgh, knowledge and experience of Scots law is required, but it is not necessary to have a Scottish legal qualification.

The application materials can be downloaded from the JAC website. The application window closes on 22 December 2011.

The JAC has meanwhile hailed the high level of women who were successful in the two largest selection exercises it completed between April and September 2011.

“In Circuit Judge and District Judge (Magistrates’ Court) competitions, where women made up only 20 and 19% of those eligible to apply (the eligible pool), they formed 37 and 47% of the final selections made respectively,” it reported.

“Competition for these roles was strong with more than nine applications for every Circuit Judge vacancy and 13 for every District Judge role.”