HC Deb 27 July 1998 vol 317 c19W
Mr. Garnier

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many women magistrates have been appointed since 1 May 1997. [52654]

Mr. Hoon

Of the 1,664 magisterial appointments made in the period between 1 May 1997 and 30 June 1998, 851 were women.

Mr. Garnier

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many judicial appointments there have been since 1 May 1997 to(a) the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, (b) the Court of Appeal, (c) the High Court, (d) the County or Crown Court Bench, (e) the Queen's Bench Mastership, (f) the Chancery Division Mastership and (g) the District Judiciary. [52643]

Mr. Hoon

The table gives the numbers of judicial appointments in the categories mentioned since 1 May 1997:

Judicial appointments Number
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary 1
Lords Justices of Appeal 5
High Court Judges 9
Circuit Judges 39
Masters of the Queen's Bench Division 0
Masters of the Chancery Division 3
District Judges (excluding District Judges of the Family Division) 37

Circuit Judges may sit in the county courts, the Crown Court or both. It is not therefore possible to provide separate figures.

Mr. Garnier

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many women have been appointed to the County and Crown Court bench since 1 May 1997. [52653]

Mr. Hoon

Eight women have been appointed as Circuit Judges since 1 May 1997.

Circuit Judges may sit in the county courts, the Crown Court or both. It is not therefore possible to provide separate figures.