§ Keith VazTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the common barriers deterring applications from ethnic minority groups to the judiciary. [171309]
§ Mr. LeslieThe decision whether or not to seek judicial appointment is a personal one which may be influenced by a number of factors. It is possible that some applicants, irrespective of ethnicity or gender, may be deterred from seeking judicial appointment for a variety of reasons, such as
- (a) a sense that the judicial appointments process is not sufficiently open or accountable;
- (b) limited access to sufficient information, at key stages in their profession, to enable them to make an informed decision about a potential career in the judiciary;
245W - (c) concerns that certain aspects of judicial office are incompatible with other commitments, for example that working patterns may not be "family friendly".
The first issue will be addressed through the establishment of the new, independent Judicial Appointments Commission which will inspire a more diverse range of applicants through a more open, transparent and accessible system.
In relation to the provision of information, the Department has for some time run a comprehensive outreach programme of events where officials and judicial office holders explain the appointments process and answer any questions. We also provide information de-mystifying the judicial appointments process either as a booklet; video or on our website. We are, however, looking at what else is needed, and when, to assist individual lawyers in deciding whether or not to pursue a judicial career.
Finally, in terms of judicial working patterns, salaried part-time working has already been introduced for some judicial posts and we are investigating whether this can be extended to more. We are also undertaking a review of our policies to consider what more can be done to encourage a more diverse range of legal professionals to seek judicial appointment.