Northern Ireland's public is to be given a say in choosing their judges under wide-ranging reforms to the selection process announced today.
A new Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission will be established by next summer and take over responsibility for appointing and recommending candidates up to and including High Court judges.
Currently the Lord Chancellor is in charge of the process of making judicial appointments, following recommendation from the Northern Ireland Lord Chief Justice, Sir Brian Kerr.
From next summer Sir Brian will chair the new commission and sit with 12 others - five of whom will be members of the public - to make the appointments.
Applications for the lay members are being sought from people with "knowledge of managing human or financial resources, knowledge of the court system or experience in policy development," said the Court Service.