Judicial Appointments ~ How it was: how it is

Professor Gary Slapper is a leading academic lawyer and well-known legal author. Recently, he posted the tweet shown below.  That's how it was.  These days, lawyers apply for posts in the judiciary in response to advertisements from the Judicial Appointments Commission.  Of course, this has got rid of the old "tap on the shoulder" system.  That's how it is.

The change came about as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 Part 4

.@Auntie_Ag @pjm1kbw allow me to demur on "aspirant judges". Historically, the sole debarring criterion for the Bench was to ask to be on it
— Gary Slapper (@garyslapper) August 20, 2014