‘End political interference in appointing judges’

The chief justice has called for a radical overhauling of the way in which judges are appointed, warning that “political allegiance should have no bearing on appointments.”

In a report that is sharply critical of the system, Chief Justice Susan Denham calls for a merit-based judicial appointment system enshrined in law.

The existing system is “now demonstrably deficient” and “must be reformed if it is to achieve the objective of securing the selection of the very best candidates,” she said.