§ Mr. McDonnellTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will establish gender awareness training for all the judiciary. [15022]
§ Mr. HoonJudicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), which is a non-departmental governmental body. It has held a number of sessions in both induction and continuation training on equal treatment, including gender awareness, and is considering how training in this area might be developed.
Lay Magistrate training is delivered by Magistrates' Courts' Committees but the JSB has a role is setting the syllabus. Lay Magistrates already address the issue of equal treatment for all in the light of their judicial oath and the JSB has recently begun a study to identify the skills and knowledge required by Lay Magistrates to ensure equality of treatment for all who appear in their courts.