Section 117: Procedural Rules
329.Section 117 allows the regulations made under section 115 to provide for a more limited category of detailed procedural rules in relation to complaints and discipline to be made by the Lord Chief Justice with the agreement of the Minister. It is envisaged that these would address the detailed matters covered by the existing protocol governing complaints against judges, which was agreed by the Lord Chancellor and the judiciary and published in 2003. These rules will not be subject to Parliamentary approval and might change from time to time, but they must be published. The rules may not include provision of the kind referred to in section 109(7) or (8) (which allow certain definitions to be prescribed) or section 116(2) or (3) (which allow the regulations to make certain provision about procedural steps in decision-making and procedural penalties).