(1)Before issuing any selection guidance the Lord Chancellor must—
(a)consult the senior judge of the Supreme Court;
(b)after doing so, lay a draft of the proposed guidance before each House of Parliament.
(2)If the draft is approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament within the 40-day period the Lord Chancellor must issue the guidance in the form of the draft.
(3)In any other case the Lord Chancellor must take no further steps in relation to the proposed guidance.
(4)Subsection (3) does not prevent a new draft of the proposed guidance from being laid before each House of Parliament after consultation with the senior judge of the Court.
(5)Selection guidance comes into force on such date as the Lord Chancellor may appoint by order.
(6)Where selection guidance is in force, the Lord Chancellor may revoke the guidance only by—
(a)new selection guidance issued in accordance with the previous provisions of this section, or
(b)an order made after consulting the senior judge of the Court.
(7)In this section—
“40-day period” in relation to the draft of any proposed selection guidance means—
if the draft is laid before one House on a day later than the day on which it is laid before the other House, the period of 40 days beginning with the later day, and
in any other case, the period of 40 days beginning with the day on which the draft is laid before each House,
no account being taken of any period during which Parliament is dissolved or prorogued or during which both Houses are adjourned for more than 4 days;
“the senior judge”, in relation to the Court, has the meaning given by section 26(5B);
“selection guidance” means guidance mentioned in section 27(9).]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 27B inserted (1.10.2013) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 13 para. 6; S.I. 2013/2200, art. 3(d) (with savings in S.I. 2013/2193, reg. 23)