The Independence of the Judiciary

• Part 1 The Lord Chancellor's Office and the age of Muir-Mackenzie: the founding of the Lord Chancellor's Office; the Muir-Mackenzie era; the imperial dimension; the changing concept of the judiciary. Part 2 The Schuster era - high policy: the machinery of government and the long weekend; a little matter of constitutionalism; the Hewart explosion. Part 3 Schuster and the judges: choosing the judges; county court salaries - the doctrine of unripeness; pay claims - the high court and high drama. Part 4 Schuster and the end of empire: the judicial committee - the beginning of the end; a case study of Canada. Part 5 The era of Napier and Coldstream - numbers, appointment and control of the judges: the number of judges; choosing the judges; controlling the judges; the executive and the judiciary. Part 6 The end of Napier and Coldstream - the use of the judiciary: the uses of ignorance, impartiality and independence; the classic case - the restrictive practices court; restrictive practices - the public doubts; another spoke in the wheel - the Lord Chancellor's Office and committees. Part 7 Judicial salaries from the 1940s to the 1980s: the Labour years 1945-1951; the Conservative administration 1951-1964; the later years. Part 8 The later years - vignettes from the end of empire: Canada resiles - Sri Lanka pursues; and who, pray, shall sit?. Epilogue: the last decades; the perplexing problems of judicial independence; criticizing the judiciary; the judiciary reformed?; the Lord Chancellor's department and the future.

'Books In The Media' Saturday 2 January 1999 (pg 10)