24. (1) The Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee shall comprise the following 13 members:

(a) 8 judges nominated by the Chief Justice, including—

(i) a judge of the Supreme Court,

(ii) a judge of the Court of Appeal,

(iii) a judge of the High Court,

(iv) a judge of the Circuit Court, and

(v) a judge of the District Court;

(b) the lay members appointed under subsection (3).

(2) The Chief Justice shall appoint one of the judges nominated under subsection (1)(a) to be a member of the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee to act as chairperson of the Committee.

(3) The Government shall appoint 5 persons to be members of the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee (in this Act referred to as “lay members” of the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee) from among such persons as are recommended by the Public Appointments Service in accordance with section 25 for appointment as such lay members.

(4) Subsection (6) of section 44, but only insofar as it relates to paragraphs (a) to (e) of that subsection, shall apply to the eligibility of a person for appointment to be a lay member of the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee as that subsection applies to the eligibility of a person for appointment to be a lay member of the Judicial Conduct Committee with the modification that the reference to a lay member of the Judicial Conduct Committee shall be construed as a reference to a lay member of the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee.

(5) Subsection (7) of section 44, but only insofar as it relates to paragraphs (a) to (f) of that subsection, shall apply to the cesser of membership of a lay member of the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee as that subsection applies to the cesser of membership of a lay member of the Judicial Conduct Committee with the modification that the reference to a lay member of the Judicial Conduct Committee shall be construed as a reference to a lay member of the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee.

(6) Of the lay members appointed to the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee, not fewer than 40 per cent of them shall be women.