On 9 May 2016, the Joint Committee on Human Rights published its report on the joint Pre Appointment Hearing for the new Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
JCHR Chair Harriet Harman said:
Both the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Women & Equalities Committee considered that, overall, David Isaac was a good candidate for the post of Chair of the EHRC. However, it’s essential that the holder of that post should be independent and is seen to be independent.
Also on 9 May, the Women and Equalities Committee called into question the workings of the current public appointments process following its pre-appointment scrutiny of the new Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
Chair of the committee Maria Miller said:
The Public Appointments process needs to command the confidence of members of the public. MPs have been given a central role in scrutinising that decision making yet some aspects of this are opaque.
Background information:
The Joint Committee on Human Rights held a joint pre-appointment hearing of the Government’s preferred candidate for the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) with the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee in March 2016.
- Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State’s response re EHRC appointment, 26 April 2016
- Letter of 26 April from David Isaac to Chairs of the Joint Committee on Human Rights and Women and Equalities Committee
All correspondence relating to the appointment is available on the correspondence section of the publications page of the JCHR website.