A unified judiciary

The lord chief justice is to take over leadership of the tribunal’s judiciary.
Kenneth Clarke QC, the lord chancellor, said the change requires primary legislation and would be included in a Bill as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Work is already underway on plans, announced in March, to merge the Tribunals Service with HM Court Service, and is expected to be completed by next April.

Following discussions with the lord chief justice and the senior president of tribunals, Clarke agreed that at the same time as the administration of the courts and tribunals was brought together, their judicial structure should be reviewed.

Clarke said: “Our shared vision is to work towards a unified judiciary encompassing both courts and tribunals.”
One possibility mooted by Clarke is to transfer the statutory powers of the senior president of tribunals to the lord chief justice, and to create a new office of head of tribunals justice with a statutory obligation to protect and develop the tribunals.

Discussions are