§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Attorney-General (1) what target he maintains for the number and percentage of female judges there will be in the year 2000;
(2) what target he maintains for the number and percentage of black judges there will be in the year 2000;
(3) what steps he is taking to increase the number of female judges;
(4) what steps he is taking to increase the number of black judges.
§ The Attorney-GeneralCandidates for judicial appointment are considered on their merits, regardless of sex or ethnic origin. The Lord Chancellor has, however, repeatedly made clear his wish to appoint more women and members of ethnic minorities to judicial office. Steps have been taken to make this widely known, and thus to encourage more suitably qualified women and members of ethnic minorities to put themselves forward for consideration. The composition of the bench at any one time is, however, dependent on the composition of the legal profession in the age groups with the necessary experience to be suitable. At the moment, there are relatively few women and ethnic minority candidates in the legal profession in the appropriate age groups with the right experience. It is expected that the number will increase significantly over the next 10 years, and that this will result in more women judges, and judges from ethnic minorities. It is, however, impossible to predict the composition of the pool of suitably qualified candidates for judicial office, or the number of appointments needed, 10 years ahead, and it would therefore be inappropriate to set targets.
§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Attorney-General what percentage and number of(a) county court judges, (b) judges who sit full time in the Crown courts, (c) judges who sit in the divisional court, (d) recorders, (e) Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, (f) judges who sit in the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal and (g) judges who sit in the High Court, are female.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe following figures are correct as at 1 December 1990. There are 10 Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, of whom none is female. There are 27 Lords Justices of Appeal, of whom one is female (3.7 per cent.). There are 83 High Court judges, of whom two are female (2.4 per cent.). There are 424 circuit judges, of whom 19 are female (4.5 per cent.). There are 762 recorders, of whom 43 are female (5.6 per cent.). In addition, the Lord Chief Justice, Master of the Rolls, president of the family division and Vice-Chancellor are all male.
§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Attorney-General what percentage and number of(a) county court judges, (b) 114W judges who sit full time in the Crown courts, (c) judges who sit in the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal, (d) judges who sit in the divisional court, (e) judges who sit in the High Court, (f) Lords of Appeal in Ordinary and (g) recorders, are black.
§ The Attorney-GeneralRecords are not kept on the ethnic origin of members of the judiciary or of candidates for judicial appointments, but our understanding of the position is as follows.
There are no Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, heads of division, Lords Justices of Appeal, or High Court judges from the ethnic minorities. There are 424 circuit judges, of whom one is from an ethnic minority (0.2 per cent.). There are 762 recorders, of whom five are from ethnic minorities (0.65 per cent.).