In his evidence Professor Gee drew extensively on his AHRC-funded research project (with Professor Robert Hazell, Professor Kate Malleson and Dr Patrick O’Brien) on The Politics of Judicial Independence in the UK’s Changing Constitution as well as his other publications on the Lord Chancellor.
Topics covered during the evidence session included the Lord Chancellor’s responsibilities towards the rule of law, the changing nature of that office, the aims and content of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the effectiveness of reforms to judicial governance in the UK, and the process for making appointments to the Supreme Court. The Constitution Committee’s members included Lord Falconer (Lord Chancellor 2003-2007) and Lord Hope (Deputy President of the Supreme Court, 2009-2013), both of whom played pivotal roles in judicial governance in the period following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
The Constitution Committee’s report is expected to be published later this year.