§ Mr. VazTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many judges at High Court level and below are(a) women and (b) of Asian origin. [1051]
§ Mr. HoonThe information requested is set out in the table below. The figures are as at 1 May 1997. The figures for Asian judges are believed to be correct, but as the ethnic origin of candidates for judicial office was not recorded prior to October 1991, the information may be incomplete.
Total number women Asian High Court Judges 96 7 (7.3 per cent.) 0 Circuit Judges 562 29 (5.2 per cent.) 4 (0.7 per cent.) Recorders (part-time) 903 67 (7.4 per cent.) 3 (0.3 per cent.) Assistant Recorders (part-time) 356 60 (16.8 per cent.) 3 (0.8 per cent.) District Judges 332 37 (11.1 per cent.) 1 (0.3 per cent.) Deputy District Judges (part-time) 690 88 (12.7 per cent.) 7 (1 per cent.) Stipendiary Magistrates Acting Stipendiary 90 15 (16.6 per cent.) 2 (2.2 per cent.) Magistrates (part-time) 90 16 (17.7 per cent.) 0 Chairmen of Industrial Tribunals (full-time) 80 12 (15 per cent.) 2 (2.5 per cent.) Chairmen of Industrial Tribunals (part-time) 200 26 (13 per cent) 2 (1 per cent.)