Page 21 - Judicial Diversity Update report

High Court

2017-18 45% 29% 27% 29% 1.04
2018-19 46% 33% 52% 56% 2.58

Circuit Bench

2017-18 34% 36% 35% 35% 0.97
2018-19 35% 39% 43% 51% 1.63

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All legal exercises
2017-18 - 43% 40% 40% 0.88
2018-19 - 50% 45% 44% 0.81

2.3. The picture for appointments of women to the Circuit bench and High Court
since 2017 is generally positive. In the exercises held in 2017-2018, women
were recommended for appointment broadly in line with the proportion of
women applicants. In 2018-2019, they were recommended for appointment
above their proportion of applicants.

2.4. However, in the case of both Circuit Bench and High Court appointments, the
rise in the proportion of women appointees in 2018-2019 is a function of fewer
overall appointments. In respect of the Circuit bench there were actually two
fewer women appointed than in the previous year. In respect of the High Court,
in 2018-2019, 51 candidates applied for 25 vacancies, only 10 of which were
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filled, five of whom were women (50%). The fragility of progress made by

to the Judicial Selection and Recommendation of Appointment Statistics Bulletin, pp 12-13.
https://www.judicialappointments.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sync/about_the_jac/official_statistics/statis
tics-definitionsandmeasurement-2016-17.pdf. We have used the RRI to compare outcomes for BAME
relative to white, solicitors relative to barristers and disabled relative to non-disabled.
32 The number of applicants who identified as women of the total number of applicants was 47%;
however when calculated only against the total number of applicants who declared their gender
(excluding 240 unknowns) the proportion of women is 49.7% which the JAC would round up to 50%
33 See Judicial Appointments Commission, ‘JAC Official Statistics: Statistics tables 2018–19’, Table
3, available online at
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