Lord Chancellor is no more the head of the British judicial branch.
For a long time the position of Lord Chancellor has been a unique phenomenon – the person combined the authority of the head of British judicial branch, the speaker of the House of Lords and at the same time he was the member of the government. But some redistribution of authority is to take place in British judicial sphere in accordance with the ongoing constitutional reform.
The reform is called to secure the transparency of appointing judges procedure and their ultimate independence, as well as to definitely separate the functions of a Lord Chancellor and a Senior Lord Judge. Lord Chancellor will proceed with his membership in the government, remaining in charge of the judicial branch, the operation of courts and tribunals, several other legal issues. Nevertheless, he will not retain the status of a judge and the head of the judicial branch.
The summer of 2006 will see a new House of Lords Speaker elected. The current Lord Chancellor of Great Britain has already resigned his commission of the head of the judicial branch of the country. A further step in implementing the constitutional reform will be the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009.
The position of Lord Chancellor dates back to the 7th century. The first Lord Chancellor came into the service of the English court in 605. Up to the 14th century Lord Chancellor managed all the affairs of the court, starting with royal estate administration to mailing. The position survived the Norman Conquest, Hundred Years’ War, the War of Roses, the Revolution of 1649, and the alternate royal dynasties. In the state hierarchy Lord Chancellor was considered to be second only to Archbishop of Canterbury (the head of the Anglican Church). Lord Chancellor has for a long time acted as a link between the royal court and the parliament.
