CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM ACT

KEY BENEFITS

• create a new independent judicial appointments commission which
  will take responsibility for the selection of judges, tribunal members and magistrates in England and Wales
• establish a free-standing Supreme Court which will separate the
  highest appeal court from the second house of Parliament and remove the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary from the legislature
• reform the office of the Lord Chancellor and provide for the future
  handling of certain functions and powers which are currently exercised by that office. It will also end the right of the Lord President of the Council to sit judicially

TERRITORIAL EXTENT

• The Constitution is reserved but provisions are needed to reproduce
  the current arrangements whereby Scottish civil appeals go to the House of Lords.

PROGRESS IN PARLIAMENT

This Bill was introduced to Parliament on 24/11/04. You can download a copy of the Bill text here. Information about the Bill's progress in parliament can be found here and you can search the official report (Hansard) for the text of debates on the Bill at Second Reading or Committee stage here. 

COMMENTS

If you have any comments on the proposals you can email them to:

Antonia.carrlocke@dca.gsi.gov.uk