§ Lady HermonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what measures are being taken in Northern Ireland to ensure that more women and more members of the ethnic minorities become High Court judges. [46368]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonArising from recommendations in the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Review, the Lord Chancellor, in December of last year, appointed Mr. John Simpson as Commissioner for Judicial Appointments for Northern Ireland. The Commissioner will oversee the development of a strategy of equal opportunity and outreach designed to broaden the pool of potential applicants for judicial office. Particular emphasis will be placed on the introduction of measures designed to encourage applications from sectors of the community that have been historically under-represented or where applications have been disproportionately low. All appointments, however, will continue to be made on merit and merit alone. The Commissioner will publish his first annual report to the Lord. Chancellor early next year.