JUDGES will be subject to a disciplinary regime headed by a judicial complaints watchdog under measures outlined yesterday by the Lord Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor.
Judges who have complaints lodged against them will usually remain anonymous when the Office for Judicial Complaints starts work in April. Announcing the scheme in London, Lord Falconer of Thoroton said that anonymity would be necessary for minor complaints because the public would not be objective about complaints involving the judiciary.
Lord Woolf, the senior judge in Britain, said that judges were in a unique position. “They are having to continue to act as a judge and it is important that the confidence of the public in their ability should not be undermined,” he said.
Unlike the review procedure for other public servants, such as police officers and doctors, judges will not be named and shamed after making mistakes.
The Office for Judicial Complaints will be overseen by a £50,000-a-year ombudsman who will monitor the way in which complaints from the public are handled and investigate complaints from judges and lawyers about the judicial appointments process.
Advertisement
The office will investigate allegations regarding inappropriate remarks made in court, rude or offensive conduct towards someone in court or unacceptable delays in giving judgments. The office will not consider complaints about a judicial decision or the way in which a judge conducted proceedings.