This Update builds on JUSTICE’s 2017 Increasing Judicial Diversity report, which explored the structural barriers faced by women, BAME communities, solicitors and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds in reaching the bench. It assesses the progress that has been made since 2017, outlines areas that remain of critical concern and makes further recommendations for improving judicial diversity.
Analysing appointments data since 2017, the Working Party has found that despite the clear case for increased judicial diversity, progress has remained slow. Although there have been some welcome headline achievements – including two more women Justices appointed to the Supreme Court, the appointment of four more solicitors to the High Court and the appointment of Sir Rabinder Singh to the Court of Appeal – most appointments to the senior courts have continued much as before. There has been some improvement in the percentages of women appointed to the Circuit and High Court bench, however the overall numbers remain low meaning that progress is fragile. The data demonstrates that there has been negligible improvement in respect of other underrepresented groups.
The Working Party welcomes the adoption of some of its minor 2017 recommendations and ongoing efforts by the Judicial Appointments Commission. The Update concludes that the current approach to judicial diversity is not working. It urges large scale structural and cultural change to deliver a more diverse judiciary. To this end, our recommendations include:
Andrea Coomber, Director of JUSTICE, said: ‘Nearly three years since our last report there has been only modest progress towards a more diverse senior judiciary. Our senior judiciary continues to be dominated by white men from the independent Bar. We are continually assured that change is right around the corner and yet the homogeneity of appointments to the key feeder roles of Recorder and Deputy High Court judge give little reason for optimism. The judiciary play a critical role in our democracy and hold immense power in society. They can take away people’s liberty, their children, their rights and more. That such power is held by such an unrepresentative group of people – however meritorious – should be of concern to us all.’
Read the full report here (you can also download a PDF-version here)