Judicial Appointments Commission
388.At present the Judicial Appointments Directorate is funded through the Department of Constitutional Affairs’ vote. The Judicial Appointments Commission will be funded via grant-in-aid also through the Department for Constitutional Affairs vote.
389.The cost of establishing the Judicial Appointments Commission is estimated to be £3.2 million. This is based on the Commission being located within existing Department of Constitutional Affairs estate in the early part of its life. These set up costs for the Commission will be split over three financial years. £0.2m in 2003-4 and £0.37m in 2004-5 costs preparing for implementation have already been incurred, and the remainder of set up costs will be incurred in2005/2006. There are also plans for the greater part of the Commission to relocate out of London and the South east in 2008, leaving it with twin locations. Estimated costs for this relocation are in the region of £1.7 million.
390.The annual running cost of the Commission has been estimated at approximately £8.5 million, reducing to £8 million in 2007/2008, due to its partial relocation of out of London and the Southeast. Approximately £2 million of this running cost is attributable to indirect costs such as accommodation, and the remainder of the costs will be the “running costs” of the Commission. The actual running cost of the appointment process will be in the region of £5.5 million of which £4.2 million will be spent on salaries. It is estimated that the cost of the Commissioners will be £665,000 per annum.