Appointing Judges in an Age of Diversity: An International Conference on the 10th Anniversary of the Judicial Appointments Commission

On 6-7 November 2015, the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA) at the University of Birmingham will host an international conference to mark the tenth anniversary of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).

This one-and-half day conference will bring together judges, officials, practitioners and academics to reflect on the JAC’s first ten years—its successes and failures; past and future challenges; the prospects for faster progress on diversity and obstacles to this—as well as judicial appointments more generally.

The conference will open with a keynote lecture by Lady Hale on appointments to the UK Supreme Court.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Lady Hale (UK Supreme Court)
• Cora Hoexter (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg)
• Alexander Horne (House of Commons)
• Rosemary Hunter (Queen Mary)
• Graham Gee (University of Birmingham)
• Andrew Lynch (University of New South Wales, Sydney)
• Kate Malleson (Queen Mary)
• Karon Monaghan QC (Matrix Chambers, co-author of 2014 report for Labour Party: Judicial Diversity: Accelerating Change)
• Alan Paterson (University of Strathclyde and former member of Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland)
• Erika Rackley (University of Birmingham)
• Lorne Sossin (Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto)  

We are extremely grateful to the Socio-Legal Studies Association for providing support for the conference as part of its annual seminar series.

Please follow hashtag - #JAC10 – to find out more about the conference and keep up to date with developments.

We welcome expressions of interest to participate from postgraduate speakers (closing date: 30 April 2015).