Lord FalconerThe UK Government is to embark on a fundamental shake-up of the country’s justice system – providing substance to highly-controversial constitutional reforms unveiled last month by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The legal profession is now awaiting further detail on the reforms after the Government announced on 12 June that it was to abolish the historic position of Lord Chancellor, reshape the House of Lords’ judicial function as a separate Supreme Court and create an independent commission to appoint judges.