Schedule 2 - Judicial Appointments Commission
Justice (Northern Ireland)
11:15 am
Mr Des Browne (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Northern Ireland Office; Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Labour)
I am grateful for the amendment. The matter is one of judgment based on experience and consultation with those who operate in the relevant sphere. It relates to the nature of the job and people's ability to build expertise over time. The Government take the view that five years is an appropriate time.
I understand why the hon. Lady thinks that five years is too long. The judgment of Solomon might split the difference, but I do not plan to do that, because the Government think that five years would allow the members of the commission to build the experience that would enable them to work together, given the nature of the work and the frequency with which they would be asked to do it. We recognise the need for the membership to change, rather than to stagnate, but members must have sufficient time to begin to operate effectively. The Government have got the balance right, for the reasons that I have given.