But the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 made it possible for suitably qualified solicitors to be appointed. Appointments are made as vacancies arise. Applications for appointment to the High Court are invited annually from suitably qualified practitioners and circuit judges. The Lord Chancellor reserves the right to appoint those who have not made an application. The Lord Chancellor has powers under the Supreme Court Act 1981 to appoint persons qualified for appointment as High Court judges to be deputy judges.
Appointments are by invitation only.
Circuit Judges Circuit judges are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor. In light of last year's Lord Woolf reforms, some deal only with civil matters. The Lord Chancellor will normally only consider applicants that have sat as recorders for at least two years and are between 45 and 60 years old, or, for civil posts, serving as district judges of three years' standing. Recorders Recorders are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor, who has the power under the Courts Act 1971 to extend appointments. The jurisdiction is similar to that of a circuit judge, but generally they will handle less complex cases.