35.
I dwell on this point because it has been put to me that the
need for the presiders to come together as a group is not obvious
that the President of the Court of Appeal and the Coroner would have
too little in common. I disagree. They both directly consume sizeable
chunks of resources. It has been suggested that it be left to the
administrator to advise about priorities. That leaves every presider
free to lobby the Chief Justice separately before or after he is
advised by the administrator.
of course a presider who feels
particularly strongly should be free to make a special case but if the
Chief Justice is to get any real help he must have collective advice.
In other places the entire responsibility for the administration of the
Judiciary does not fall only on the chief judge. The Lord Chancellor
takes the major part of the burden in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
Elsewhere there are departments of justice, special
committees and statutory bodies charged with some part of the functions
here discharged by the Chief Justice. Fortunately, the weight of the
administrative task here is not so heavy that it cannot be managed
within the Judiciary if it has the will to give the structured, regular
and systematic help that is needed.
36.
I recommend the establishment of a Chief Justice's Advisory
Group to comprise the presiders named in the chart in paragraph 8 above
and the Judiciary Administrator. The Chief Justice will wish to
consider the terms of reference. They might be broad ones to begin
The
with on these lines: "To advise the Chief Justice on the administration
of the Judiciary". It might be desirable to import the concepts of
effectiveness, efficiency and numbers of judicial officers but these
are matters peculiarly within the remit of the administrator.
group will need a small secretariat. The frequency of meetings will be
determined by the weight of business but I suggest never less than four
times a year. The agenda would be initiated by the administrator in
discussion with the Chief Justice but members would be invited to raise
matters and write papers.
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