panel" of 95 from which to select the JCPC which can sit in panels of 3 but usually sits as a panel of 5. . As a footnote, there appear are an additional 46 Privy Councillors who would be eligible to sit if they had not reached the age of 75. This galaxy of unfortunately unavailable talent includes retired Law Lords such as Lords Bingham, Hoffmann, Nicholls and Steyn. . Unfortunately for Lord Phillips and his organisation of sittings, many of the eligible judges already have full time jobs elsewhere -- mostly in the English Court of Appeal, the Scottish Court of Session and the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal. In addition, many of the eligible judges are in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In effect, the pool then becomes Supreme Court Justices plus retired Court of Appeal judges and Law Lords under the age of 75. This list is down to something like 24 possibles. . Incidentally, the list of members of the Privy Council makes interesting reading. The longest serving member is the Duke of Edinburgh, appointed in 1951, followed by Lord Carrington (1959). Anthony Benn (as he is described) was appointed in 1964. Baroness Thatcher is a relative newcomer (appointed 1970). The President of the Council (formerly eligible to sit on the JCPC) is Lord Mandelson. As I remember, allegiance was to "Her Majesty..., her heirs and successors". Who could be almost anyone, if you think about it. And the way things stand there's going to be a