Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill says judiciary waiting to be told "what the plan is, what the timeline is, and what the proposals are"
The Lady Chief Justice has indicated that the judiciary is still waiting for concrete details regarding the Government's plan to replace the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) with a new appeals body staffed by adjudicators.
The Home Secretary wrote to the Justice Committee in January with some initial details on the plan, adding: "We will work closely with the Ministry of Justice to understand and manage the justice impacts of all proposals, including ensuring early legal advice is available. I will share more detail on proposals in due course."
Speaking at her annual press conference yesterday, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill was asked how the judiciary is preparing for the transition to the new "special adjudicator" system. Her response suggested there has so far been a lack of clear communication from the Government regarding the details and practicalities of the reform.
"I think the first thing we need to do is be told what the plan is, what the timeline is, and what the proposals are," the Lady Chief Justice said. "And then and only then can we start to deal both with the human and the professional aspects of the consequences for the judges."
The full transcript of the press conference is available here, providing a wider look at judicial priorities for the coming year. The specific exchange regarding the First-tier Tribunal (IAC) is reproduced below:
CATHERINE BAKSI: Thank you. On immigration tribunals. What work is being done by the judiciary to prepare for the Government's new special adjudicator thing? Because even though there is a lot of talk about this coming in, last time I looked the JAC were still running their recruitment campaign for immigration tribunal judges?
THE LADY CHIEF JUSTICE: Yes, well we are. I mean, you know, we are working flat out. Last quarter, I think, there was an increase of 123% in receipts in the First-Tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber. So, the work demand is at an all-time high, and we are recruiting new judges.
In terms of what we're doing to prepare, I think the first thing we need to do is be told what the plan is, what the timeline is, and what the proposals are, and then and only then can we start to deal both with the human and the professional aspects of the consequences for the judges.