The Ministry of the Lord Chancellor has carried out its investigations into the most eligible candidates. The appointment process is believed to have given rise to criticism that a member of the government should not be solely responsible for appointing judges. It was also found that judges were appointed in the image of existing judges rather than solely on the basis of their merits, drawn from a wide range of eligible candidates. Despite the criticism leveled at it, the old method of appointment worked quite well. As candidates were selected on merit, there was no question of political consideration and the Lord Chancellor generally acted on the advice of senior judges, who were able to identify competent practitioners. However, as critics have pointed out, the selection was made from a rather small group, which did nothing to add to the diversity of the judiciary. It was considered that although judges should be appointed on the basis of merit, if we are to have a judiciary which has the confidence of citizens, it must fairly reflect all sections of society who are able to provide candidates with the required skills. The new selection system seeks to encourage these candidates to come forward. An open competition makes all nominations. The Commission recommends candidates