'Concerns' over appointment of judges

The head of an inquiry into the way judges and QCs are appointed said yesterday that he had serious concerns about the process and had uncovered "upsetting'' evidence of the treatment of unsuccessful applicants to the bench.

Sir Colin Campbell, the first commissioner for judicial appointments, also called for a debate on how judges are recruited and promoted.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, asked him to investigate the system last year Sir Colin said the "consultations'' or 'secret soundings' were "misunderstood''. He said: "We found serious things which are cause for concern in relation to the consistency and relevancy [of the secret soundings, where senior barriers and judges are consulted about the suitability of judicial candidates].''

He said he had looked into "a dozen complaints'' from judicial and silk applicants, some of which he had upheld.

He said: "We've found out some things which have rather upset us and we have passed this information on to complainants.''

Sir Colin, speaking at the annual conference of solicitors in Manchester, called for a debate on the future of the judicial appointments system in which other questions could be asked which were outside his own remit.

He said it was important to know whether allegations of bias were properly founded.

Last year the Lord Chancellor's department received 4,200 applications for judicial posts of which only 900 were successful.

It is understood that Sir Colin's report, which will be published in the next fortnight, will criticise the Lord Chancellor's department for the way that it has administered the "sifting'' process where officials weed out weak applicants at an early stage.

He wants an independent person outside of Government to scrutinise this process.

Today the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, will join solicitors at their conference where he will detail his concerns about lawyers and the criminal justice system.

In the past he has criticised lawyers for stringing out cases and claiming extravagant fees.

He will say: "We must work together to stamp out the culture of adjournment and delay that sees over £80m wasted in the magistrates and crown court.''

He will add that a system which sees courts deliberately over-booked, with 30 per cent of cases discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service, is a system that is failing.

He will call on lawyers to join ministers to build a fairer justice system.

He will say: "In seeking and supporting justice, those within the system must consider not only the technical boundaries which govern our actions but also the moral responsibility to sustain the fabric of our society.''