Government’s preferred candidate promises greater pace, simpler appointments and action on judicial diversity
The Justice Committee has endorsed Lynne Berry CBE as the next chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission after questioning her about the decision to offer her an initial term of 18 months rather than the three years originally advertised.
The cross-party committee concluded that Berry met the criteria for the role following a pre-appointment hearing examining her understanding of judicial independence, senior recruitment, diversity and the challenges facing the appointments system.
Lord Chancellor David Lammy said the shorter term would allow Berry to lead the commission’s response to recommendations from the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts while working with the government on the JAC’s longer-term strategic direction. He has indicated that the appointment could be extended.
Berry told MPs that the arrangement reflected the Lord Chancellor’s desire for a “sense of purpose, direction and speed” across the JAC’s work. She said the commission had been successful in several areas, but after two decades there was a need to reconsider how parts of the organisation and the wider appointments system operated.
She rejected a suggestion that the prospect of renewal could expose her to pressure to meet the government’s objectives. Berry said no short-term diversity targets had been set and added: “I do not see it as political pressure.”
Instead, she characterised the challenge as organisational: preparing the JAC and other parts of the judicial appointments framework to move forward during a period of significant change. She said this would require collaboration with the Lord Chancellor, Lady Chief Justice, Law Society, Bar Council and CILEX.
Berry said one of her priorities would be to develop a clearer vision for the JAC, speed up appointments and strengthen confidence in the courts among Parliament, the legal profession and the public. She described existing selection procedures as having come to be seen as “very bureaucratic and slow”, particularly for candidates less familiar with long and complex processes.
However, she stressed that simplifying the process must not weaken appointment on merit. Berry said merit remained fundamental, alongside the statutory requirements concerning good character and the need to encourage diversity in the pool of candidates available for selection.
The committee report records that women accounted for 52% of recommendations in selection exercises during 2024/25, compared with 49% of applications and the eligible pool. Ethnic minority candidates represented 17% of recommendations, against 15% of the average eligible pool, although their representation declined through successive stages of the process.
Solicitors continued to be recommended at around half the rate of barristers despite making up 56% of applications. Berry told MPs the system still favoured candidates with experience at the Bar and was not doing enough to attract people from solicitor and chartered legal executive backgrounds.
She described it as “quite shocking” that the proportion of Black judges was 1% two decades ago and remained at the same level. Berry said she wanted to understand the barriers experienced by excluded groups before working with others to remove them.
Berry was cautious about numerical targets, saying the JAC needed to understand the outcomes it was seeking without creating the perception that candidates were being appointed simply to meet a number. She said appointments must continue to be based on merit while the system learns from other professions that have broadened participation successfully.
She also supported creating clearer judicial career pathways. Berry said there was currently no defined career path for judges and suggested that candidates should have opportunities to gain experience across lower-level courts as they progressed towards more senior roles.
Judicial recruitment remains a high-volume exercise, with around 1,000 vacancies expected to be filled each year. The committee said district judge positions and roles in London and the South East had proved particularly difficult to fill, while the Senior Salaries Review Body had identified a multi-year decline in candidates assessed as outstanding or strong.
Berry described her leadership approach as “measured radicalism”, combining respect for different views with a willingness to make substantial changes where necessary. She said she would seek to build trust among commissioners, the JAC executive and stakeholders while maintaining the commission’s independence.
She is currently chair of the Human Tissue Authority but expects to leave that role by the end of 2026. She is also stepping down as chair of governors and pro-chancellor at the University of Westminster.
The JAC recommends candidates for judicial office in courts and tribunals in England and Wales, up to and including the High Court, and supports some of the most senior judicial appointment processes. Its statutory duties include selecting candidates on merit, ensuring good character and encouraging diversity in the available pool.
The recruitment campaign attracted 22 applicants, five of whom were interviewed and two of whom were assessed as appointable. The committee formally endorsed Berry’s appointment following the hearing on 10 June 2026.