Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission

NIJAC was established on 15 June 2005 as an independent public body under the Justice (NI) Acts 2002 & 2004.

However, the devolution of policing and justice on 12 April 2010 made changes to the Northern Ireland Act (2009) and extended our statutory duties further.

We continue to select people for judicial office on merit through fair and open competition and by selecting from the widest possible range of applicants.

We still select and make recommendations for Crown appointments to the Queen via the Lord Chancellor, up to and including High Court Judge.

However, we are now also an appointing body, selecting, appointing and re-appointing to Non-Crown Judicial Offices (i.e. mainly fee paid offices in various courts and tribunals). List of Crown and Non-Crown Judicial Offices. (PDF 16 KB)

We also now have the power to determine non-pecuniary aspects of terms and conditions for those judicial offices whose terms are not set by the Lord Chancellor and we have joint responsibility with the Department of Justice for the agreeing judicial complement and succession planning.

Devolution also meant that our sponsoring department changed from the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMdFM) to whom we are now accountable for our finanical and governance arrangements.

For a full list of the judicial offices we are responsible for, please see the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 Schedule 1 (Section 2) - Listed Judicial Offices (PDF 26 KB).