Quality problems for the judiciary?

Barristers continue to do very nicely, thank you; at least at the commercial bar, where earnings in the region of £500,000 are average, and pupils are paid £65,000. However, this in turn raises the question of the impact on recruitment of quality personnel to the ranks of the judiciary, with the Chancery Division of the High Court particularly affected.

it’s probably not a good idea to mention this problem to any friends of yours at the tougher end of the criminal bar….

Another problem affecting the judiciary relates to selection of judges, and the use of veto by the Lord Chancellor - Ken Clarke, a politician, has blocked the appointment of two of the Judicial Appointment Commission’s choices for tribunal members this year, with obvious implications for judicial independence and the separation of powers.Not much point having an independent Commission if this is going to happen, you may well think.

Two stories with interlinked themes in terms of their impact on the judiciary for your students to ponder, with plenty of insight for evaluation purposes.