§ Mr. Bishopasked the Attorney-General if he will give the numbers of men and women, respectively, now in office who have been appointed to legal positions by Her Majesty's Government and including High Court judges, county court judges, Queen's Counsel, recorders, stipendiary and lay magistrates, registrars and masters of the High Court and county courts and official referees; and what percentage of those people who are qualified as jurors is men and women, respectively.
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§ The Attorney-GeneralThe following are the numbers of men and women respectively holding the appointments mentioned below:
Men Women High Court Judges 70 1 Official referees 3 0 County Court Judges 114 1 Full-time Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of Quarter Sessions 22 1 Queen's Counsel in practice approximately 300 2 Recorders 92 1 Stipendiary magistrates 48 1 High Court Masters and registrars 44 1 County Court registrars 120 0 At 1st January, 1971, out of 19,250 lay magistrates, 12,550 were men and 6,700 women. It would not be possible without a disproportionate expenditure of lime and money to ascertain the numbers of men and women respectively qualified as jurors.
§ Mr. Bishopasked the Attorney-General if he is aware that a Special Bar Council Committee has been set up to examine how prospects and opportunities for women at the Bar can be improved; and whether he will make submissions to the committee to the effect that it is Her Majesty's Government's aim to secure fair treatment for women under the law.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe attitude of Her Majesty's Government towards discrimination against women is well known and has been made public on a number of occasions. I have no doubt that the Bar Council is well aware of its pronouncements.