Judicial Office
(Fourth Clerk at the Table (Judicial): James Vallance White)

1  Purpose

The Office enables the House to carry out its judicial functions and provides secretarial and administrative services to the Lords of Appeal.

2  Organisation

The main Office, concerned with the administration of the judicial work of the House, consists of 11 staff. There are 2 Clerks, the Taxing Clerk, 4 legal assistants on annual contracts, 3 executive and clerical staff and 2 secretaries. The Law Lords' Office, which provides secretarial services to the Lords of Appeal, has 8 full time staff: the Personal Assistant, 6 secretaries and a senior attendant. There are also 2 judicial doorkeepers. An additional secretary is on long-term secondment to the inquiry into the events of ìBloody Sundayî chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate. The Principal Clerk is also Registrar of Lords' Interests.

3  Activities and Financial Performance

The out-turn in relation to appeals was higher than the previous year, with 76 causes determined and a further 14 heard but awaiting judgment. The backlog of appeals awaiting determination was slightly reduced to 90. This backlog can only be reduced when both Appellate Committees sit at once, something rarely possible as Lords of Appeal sit daily in both the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and in the Lords. A fuller statistical account is set out in Judicial Statistics, published by the Lord Chancellor's Department.

The first 4 legal assistants for the Law Lords started work in October. The scheme has worked well. The LexIcon internet-provided database was, through the courtesy of the Lord Chancellor's Department, extended to the Law Lords and their staff. A contract was awarded for a database of information relating to judicial petitions. A new arrangement was reached with the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting to improve the editing of House of Lords opinions.

Fully revised editions of the civil and criminal practice directions and standing orders were published in November. Besides clarifications and minor changes to practice, a new direction on appeals relying on the Human Rights Act 1998 was promulgated.

In July, the House approved the quinquennial rise in judicial fees. The fee for presenting a civil petition for leave is now £570 and the House requires £25,000 security for costs from appellants to protect respondents against fruitless appeals.

The Office retains its responsibility in respect of peerage claims and a petition claiming two Irish earldoms was referred to the Committee for Privileges during the year (though later withdrawn). A Standing Order (10A) makes provision for those who succeed to hereditary peerages to prove their succession. For straightforward successions the procedure is simple and free of charge.

Net expenditure by the Office was £141,484 (£112,610 in 1999-00). Total expenditure was £590,988 (£605,060 in 1999-00). This does not include the Law Lords' salaries, which are paid from the Consolidated Fund. Total receipts were £443,220 (plus VAT refunds of £6,284) (£496,708 in 1999-00), 8% below target. The Taxing Clerk has successfully increased the number of occasions on which litigants agree their bills before formal taxation.

4  Future Activities

• The coming year should see the implementation of the petitions database.

• A review is to be undertaken of the Law Lords' medium term needs, to inform a discussion as to how they can best be met by the House.

• The work of the Registrar of Lords' Interests will be affected by the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life on the House of Lords (see page 15 above).