Parliament continues to develop the nation's system of courts nearly 700 years after the first Justices of the Peace were appointed by statute.
Tribunals
The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, for example, made significant changes to the structure of the courts and legal procedures.
The Bill was introduced in the Commons on 21 February 2007 and received its second reading on 5 March. It included new criteria for the appointment of judges aimed at encouraging diversity, and a comprehensive overhaul of the UK's tribunal system.
Ad hoc
Prior to this legislation, tribunals in the UK had been created on an ad hoc basis to perform various judicial functions. They comprised a mixture of judges, lawyers, experts and laypeople, and were regulated by various government departments and bodies.
Parliament considered proposals to create a simpler and more unified structure, better integrated into a modern courts system. The Act received Royal Assent on 19 July 2007.