APPOINTMENTS - previously, the Lord Chancellor would consult existing senior judges through secret soundings, which lacked transparency, undermined the separation of powers and resulted in a senior judiciary that wasn't representative of the people, e.g. went to Oxbridge, beyond middle age. Under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Judicial Appointments Commission now has 5 members who consider nominees for appointment, including one member from the Scottish and Northern Irish Boards. This stops the govt from stacking the SC with their allies / supporters.