Appointment of County Court Commissioner to the NI Judicial Appointments Commission

1. The Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission (NIJAC) was established on 15 June 2005 under the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 as amended by the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004. On the devolution of policing and justice powers in April 2010 the remit of the Commission was further expanded and NIJAC is currently responsible for selecting and appointing, or recommending for appointment, applicants in respect of all listed judicial offices up to and including High Court Judge.

2. The Commission comprises a Chairman who is the Lord Chief Justice and 12 other members:-

• five Judicial Members (nominated by the Lord Chief Justice);
• two Legal Profession Members (a barrister nominated by the General Council of the Bar and a solicitor nominated by the Law Society); and
• five Lay Members (Recruited by an open competition regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments NI).

3. The Executive Office holds sponsorship responsibility for the Commission and the 2002 Act provides for the First Minister and deputy First Minister to appoint Commissioners.

4. Judge Miller QC was appointed as a County Court Judge in May 2009. He was educated at Queen’s University, Belfast. He was called to the Bar in September 1983 and took Silk in 2006. He became a member of the Bar of Ireland in February 1996. In October 2002 he was appointed a Deputy Resident Magistrate and from June 2008 until his elevation to the County Court Bench he was a Deputy District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts). In December 2019 he was appointed as the member representative on the Northern Ireland Judicial Pensions Board.  From August 2014 to August 2016 he served as a judge of the Family Care Centre in Belfast and in August 2016 he was appointed as an assigned judge at Belfast Crown Court. In August 2019 he took up the position as assigned judge for the Division of Ards, based at Downpatrick.

5. Judicial members with the exception of the lay magistrate are not remunerated for their appointment.

6. Media enquiries to The Executive Office press office via email: press.office@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk.

7. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.