Commentary Lord Chief Justice Section 12: Role of the Lord Chief Justice
33.The Review recommended that the Lord Chief Justice should have a clearly defined position as head of the judiciary in Northern Ireland (para 6.141). This section states that the Lord Chief Justice is president of the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the Crown Court, the county courts and the magistrates’ courts and head of the judges and magistrates who sit in them. Subsection (2) gives effect to Schedule 5 which transfers certain functions in relation to the operation of the courts from the Lord Chancellor to the Lord Chief Justice. Subsection (3) provides for the Lord Chancellor to amend any enactment or instrument for effecting further transfers of functions.