I have appointed Mr Justice Terence Etherton to be chairman of the Law Commission from 1 August 2006. He succeeds Mr Justice Roger Toulson, whose term of office will then be completed.

I have decided that the needs of the Law Commission are usually best met by having a member of the senior judiciary as chairman. This follows a consultation in the 2004 consultation paper, Appointment of Law Commissioners, and the response paper issued in 2005. As a result, I have decided to propose to Parliament amendments to the Law Commissions Act 1965 so that the chairman can be recruited from the senior judiciary as and when appropriate. I will do so when legislative time and opportunity allows.