§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will update the information given in his answer of 7 February 1994,Official Report, column 11, to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North regarding the composition of the judiciary. [28889]
Mr. John M. TaylorThe information relating to numbers of men, women, barristers and solicitors in post, correct as at 1 June 1995, is set out in table 1. The figures for black and Asian office holders are believed to be correct, but the formal recording of the ethnic background of applicants for judicial office began only on 1 October 1991, so such information may be incomplete. Aggregated information is not generally kept on the average ages of judges. The information supplied on 7 February 1994 was available as a result of a special exercise, which has not since been repeated, and no new information is readily available. Aggregated information is not generally kept about the educational background of judges, but the results of a recent special exercise in relation to the university background of the more senior levels of the judiciary, as at 26 May 1995, is set out in table 2.
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Table 1: Details of judiciary in post as at 1 June 1995 Number Men Women Barrister1 Solicitor Black/Asian Industrial tribunal chairmen2 80 70 10 34 46 2 Value added tax chairmen2 4 4 0 3 1 0 Social security appeal tribunal chairmen2 42 31 11 13 29 1 1 Or member of the faculty of advocates. 2 The figures relate to full-time chairmen.
University backgrounds As at 26 May 1995 Oxbridge Other University College None Total Lords of Appeal in Ordinary 8 4 0 0 12 Lord Justices 26 5 1 0 32 Heads of division (excludes Lord Chancellor) 3 1 0 0 4 High court judges 78 14 0 3 95 Circuit judges (includes Official Referees) 264 180 38 36 158