§ Mr. FraserTo ask the Attorney-General what steps are being taken by the Lord Chancellor to remedy the imbalance between the number of men and women appointed to judicial offices as disclosed in his answer to the hon. Member for Norwood,Official Report 22 December, columns 418–19.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Lord Chancellor would like to appoint more women to judicial office and intends to do so as the opportunity offers. However, since his overriding policy is to appoint the best candidate to all available posts, the proportion of women judges will reflect broadly the proportion of women in the legal profession in the relevant age groups. Many more women have joined the legal profession in recent years, and, as they progress, the proportion of women judges is likely to increase.