Department for Constitutional Affairs -

Home > Publications > Reports and reviews > Departmental Report 2002-2003

8. Other Offices

The Law Commission

Chairman: The Hon Mr Justice Toulson
Secretary: M W Sayers

The Law Commission was established by the Law Commissions Act 1965. Its main purpose is to recommend reform of the law. It aims to ensure that the law is as fair, modern, simple and cost effective as possible. Since 1965, just over 100 of its reports have resulted in Acts of Parliament. About two-thirds of its reports have been fully or partly implemented by legislation. The Commission is also responsible for the consolidation of legislation and for the repeal of obsolete legislation. Recent examples of its work vary from land registration to offences of fraud, and from housing law to double jeopardy. All the Commission's recent publications, including its Annual Report (produced around April each year) are on its website.

The Law Commission
Conquest House
37/38 John Street
Theobalds Road
London WC1N 2BQ

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7453 1220
Fax: +44(0) 20 7453 1297
E-mail: The Secretary
Web: www.lawcom.gov.uk

The Legal Services Ombudsman for England and Wales

Legal Services Ombudsman: Ms Zahida Manzoor

The Legal Services Ombudsman is appointed by the Lord Chancellor under the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. Ms Manzoor's role is to oversee the handling of complaints about solicitors, barristers, legal executives, licensed conveyancers and patent agents by the professional bodies responsible for setting and maintaining standards of conduct and service within the legal profession.

The Ombudsman's Annual Report for 2001-02 was published in July 2002.

The Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman
3rd Floor
Sunlight House
Quay Street
Manchester M3 3JZ

Tel: +44 (0) 161 839 7262
Lo-call number: 0845 6010794
Fax: +44 (0) 161 832 5446
E-mail: LSO
Web: www.olso.org

Her Majesty's Magistrates' Courts Service Inspectorate

HM Chief Inspector: Kit Chivers

HM Magistrates' Courts Service Inspectorate (MCSI) operates within a statutory framework set out in the Justices of the Peace Act 1997; as amended by section 17 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. Its remit is to inspect and report to the Lord Chancellor on the organisation and administration of Magistrates' Courts Committees in order to improve performance and disseminate good practice; and to inspect and report to the Lord Chancellor on the performance of their functions by the Children and Family Courts Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), and the officers of the Service.

MCSI is based within the Lord Chancellor's Department, but is not responsible for the determination of policy and operates separately from the relevant policy and administration divisions. On inspection matters, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector reports directly to the Lord Chancellor.

The Chief Inspector makes an annual report to the Lord Chancellor, which is laid before Parliament. The Annual Report for 2000-01 was published on 30 October 2001. All MCSI reports are published and are also available via its website.

MCSI provides the home for the Joint Inspectorates' Secretariat, which supports the work of HM Chief Inspectors of the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales.

MCSI
8th Floor
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QU

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7217 4348
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7217 4357
Web: www.mcsi.gov.uk

The Council on Tribunals

Chairman: The Rt Hon The Lord Newton of Braintree OBE DL
Secretary: Mrs P J Fairbairn

The Council was established by the Tribunals and Enquiries Act 1958, following the Report of the Franks Committee on Administrative Tribunals and Enquiries in 1957. It now operates under the Tribunals and Enquiries Act 1992.

The Council's main role is to review the constitution and working of the tribunals specified in the Act. The Act requires government departments to consult the Council in respect of procedural rules for those tribunals. The Council's jurisdiction also extends to certain statutory inquiries held by or on behalf of Ministers.

The work of the Council on Tribunals during the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2002 is described in its 42nd Annual Report, published in November 2002. At the same time it launched its Framework of Standards for Tribunals and, in partnership with the Disability Rights Commission, Guidance on Making Tribunals Accessible to Disabled People.

Council on Tribunals
7th Floor
22 Kingsway
London WC2B 6LE

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7947 7045
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7947 7044
Web: www.council-on-tribunals.gov.uk

The Office of the Judge Advocate General

Judge Advocate General: Judge J W Rant CB QC
Deputy Judge Advocate General: Judge Advocate Hunter

The Office of Judge Advocate General was created in 1666. Since then, the appointment has been made by the Sovereign by Letters Patent. His main duties are to supply judge advocates for courts-martial and for the Summary Appeal Courts, magistrates for the Standing Civilian Courts and judicial officers to hear custody applications. In addition, he is responsible for giving the Army and Royal Air Force reviewing authorities post-trial advice on courts-martial, and for the keeping of courts-martial trial records. He also has a broad residual duty to monitor the disciplinary process in the armed services to ensure that it works, fairly, properly and efficiently.

To support and assist the Judge Advocate General, there is a Vice Judge Advocate General, a Deputy Judge Advocate General and seven Assistant Judge Advocates. The Deputy Judge Advocate General and two Assistant Judge Advocates are permanently based at our office in Germany.

Both the German office and the London office have seen an increase in their workload since October 2000 when changes were introduced to procedures as a result of the Human Rights Act.

Office of the Judge Advocate General
81 Chancery Lane
London
WC2A 1BQ

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7218 8077
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7218 8090
E-mail: Jenny Norris

Office of the Deputy Judge Advocate General
British Forces Germany
British Forces Post Office 40

Tel: +49 2161 908 2453

The Office of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee

Official Solicitor to the Supreme Court and Public Trustee: Laurence Oates

The Official Solicitor (a statutory appointment under section 90 of the Supreme Court Act 1981) acts in legal proceedings for those unable to represent themselves. In particular, he acts for children and the mentally disabled who are vulnerable litigants because they lack capacity. He will also intervene when there is no-one else suitable to do so, to prevent an injustice which would arise were he not to act for a party. His main objective is to protect the best interests and human rights of those he represents.

The Annual Report for 2001-02 was published in October 2002.

The Public Trustee (appointed under section 8 of the Public Trustee Act 1906) acts as executor or administrator of estates and as the appointed trustee of settlements. His aim is to provide an effective executor and trustee service of last resort on a non-profit-making basis; in so doing, his objective is to secure the best value for the beneficiaries.

The two Offices have been combined under the same post holder since 1 April 2001 following the transfer of functions of the former Public Trust Office (PTO) announced by the Lord Chancellor in his Making Changes report.

The Office of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee
81 Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1DD

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7911 7127
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7911 7105
E-mail: enquiries
Web: http://www.officialsolicitor.gov.uk/

The Judicial Studies Board

Chairman: The Rt Hon Lord Justice Waller
Director of Studies: Judge William Rose
Executive Director: Edward Adams

The Judicial Studies Board (JSB) is an independent body which was established in 1979. Its relationship to the Lord Chancellor's Department is set out in a Memorandum of Understanding which was first published in 6 June 1996 and which was reissued in April 1999. Its objectives are to:

Identify the training needs of the judiciary through its committees and in consultation with relevant outside bodies.
Make provision for identified training needs to be met in a timely, effective and innovative way harnessing new technology and methods as appropriate.
Ensure the JSB has appropriate structures, processes and accountability frameworks to determine and deliver its key programmes, as expressed by targets and plans deriving from spending reviews and otherwise.
Develop a framework of evaluation for the JSB's key programmes to ensure continuous improvement.
Ensure that fair treatment and diversity issues are integrated into all the JSB's activities.
Ensure the JSB's IT strategy, including its e-business strategy, is developed and exploited to add to the tools available for identifying and meeting training needs and knowledge management.
Develop and contribute to international legal relations by providing advice and assistance on the training of the judiciary.
Support the achievement of JSB objectives through human resource policies and procedures which ensure effective recruitment, selection, training, development and support in a fair equal opportunities workplace.

The Annual Report for 2001-02 was published in July 2002.

Judicial Studies Board
9th Floor
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QU

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7217 4763
E-mail: Edward Adams
Web: www.jsboard.co.uk

The Commission for Judicial Appointments

HM First Commissioner for Judicial Appointments: Professor Sir Colin Campbell
Secretary: Jon Casey

The Commission was established in 2001, following Sir Leonard Peach's report into the judicial appointments process. The Commission comprises the First Commissioner and seven Deputy Commissioners, none of whom is a lawyer or a holder of judicial office.

The Commissioners' remit covers the appointment of judges (except the Law Lords and Lord Justices of Appeal) and Queen's Counsel, and appointments to tribunals made by the Lord Chancellor. It does not include the appointment of lay magistrates or General Commissioners of Income Tax.

The Commissioners' functions are to review the appointment procedures to establish whether appointments are being made in accordance with the principle of selection on merit and to investigate complaints arising from the application of the appointments procedures. In relation to complaints, the Commissioners' functions do not extend to providing an avenue of appeal for unsuccessful applicants.

The Commissioners also welcome views from interested organisations and individuals about ways in which the appointments procedures might be improved.

The Commissioners' first Annual Report was published in October 2002.

Commission for Judicial Appointments
7th Floor
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4RD

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7217 4470
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7217 4262
E-mail: enquiries

The Information Commissioner

Information Commissioner: Richard Thomas

The Office of the Information Commissioner is an independent body created by statute who reports directly to Parliament. The Commissioner has a range of duties including the promotion of good information handling and the encouragement of codes of practice for data controllers.

The Information Commissioner's main functions and duties are to:

Promote the following of good practice by data controllers and public authorities, and their respective observance with the requirements of the Acts - the Data Protection Act 1998 and, in the case of public authorities, the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Provide information to the public about both pieces of legislation and how they work, about good practice and about other matters relevant to the Commissioner's work.
Consult with the Keeper of Public Records (and Deputy Keeper of Public Records of Northern Ireland) about promoting the observance by public authorities of the statutory records management code of practice.
Annually, lay before each House of Parliament a general report on the exercise of the Commissioner's functions under both the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.
Maintain a register of data controllers who have given notification under the Data Protection Act and to add new entries, or amend existing entries, on the register.
Deal with requests for assessment made under the Data Protection Act.
Deal with applications for decisions made under the Freedom of Information Act and to consider publication schemes submitted to the Commissioner by public authorities and decide whether or not to approve each scheme.

The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Tel: +44 (0) 1625 545700
E-mail: Data Protection
Web: www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

The Legal Services Commission

Chairman: Philip Ely OBE
Chief Executive: Steve Orchard CBE

The Legal Services Commission is a non-departmental public body. For more information, see Chapter 4.

Legal Services Commission
85 Gray's Inn Road
London WC1X 8TX

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7759 0000
Web: www.legalservices.gov.uk

CAFCASS

Chairman: Anthony Hewson OBE
Chief Executive: Jonathan Tross

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) is a national non-departmental public body for England and Wales, set up in April 2001, providing services that support vulnerable children in family court proceedings. For more information about its work, see Chapter 5.

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS)
13th and 14th Floors
Archway Tower
2 Junction Road
London N19 5HQ

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7210 4400
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7210 4422
E-mail: cafcass
Web: www.cafcass.gov.uk

BACK | CONTENTS | NEXT

» Return to contents

To read documents in format you will need a copy of the freely available Adobe Acrobat Reader.