HC Deb 27 January 2000 vol 343 cc313-5W
Mr. Stephen Twigg

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the percentage of judges who were(a) registered disabled, (b) women, (c) from ethnic minorities and (d) from (i) independent schools, (ii) grammar schools and (iii) other schools in each of the years (i) 1970, (ii) 1979, (iii) 1989 and (iv) 1999. [107013]

Percentages of judges who were women and of ethnic minority origin as at December 1992 and December 1999
Women Ethnic minority origin
Total Number Percentage Number Percentage
December 1992
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary 10 0 0 0 0
Heads of Divisions 4 0 0 0 0
Lords Justices of Appeal 27 1 3.7 0 0
High Court Judges 83 4 4.8 0 0
Circuit Judges 484 24 5 3 0.6
Recorders 780 39 5 8 1
Assistant Recorders 481 50 10.4 8 1.7
District Judges 258 17 6.6 1— —
Deputy District Judges 649 1— — 1— —
Stipendiary Magistrates 79 9 11.4 1 1.3
Acting Stipendiary Magistrates 80 1— — 1— —

Women Ethnic minority origin
Total Number Percentage Number Percentage
December 1999
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary 12 0 0 0 0
Heads of Divisions 4 1 25 0 0
Lords Justices of Appeal 35 1 2.9 0 0
High Court Judges 99 8 8.1 0 0
Circuit Judges 559 38 6.8 6 1.1
Recorders 913 85 9.3 14 1.5
Assistant Recorders 439 72 16.4 14 3.2
District Judges 402 54 13.4 6 1.5
Deputy District Judges 766 115 15 11 1.4
Stipendiary Magistrates 96 14 14.6 2 2.1
Acting Stipendiary Magistrates 131 22 16.8 4 3.1
1 Information not known

Women in the judiciary in 1970, 1979 and 1987
Total Women Percentage women
1970
High Court Judges 73 1 1.4
Circuit Judges 103 1 1

Mr. Lock

Serving judges and applicants for judicial appointment are not asked currently to declare whether they have a disability and no such records are held. Applicants for judicial appointment are no longer asked to give details of their secondary education. While such information was collected in the past, it is held on individual personal records and has not been collated. It could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Even if such information were available it would not be possible to provide a breakdown as requested because the status of a particular school may not be clear or might have changed over time. Historical information about gender and the ethnic origin of the judiciary is not available for all of the years requested.

The table shows the percentages of judges who were women and from ethnic minorities in 1992 (the first full year for which such information is available) and 1999. As the ethnic origin of candidates for judicial office was not sought before October 1991 the data may be incomplete. A second table also provides what limited information there is available about women in the judiciary in 1970, 1979 and 1987. No figures are readily available for 1989.

Women in the judiciary in 1970, 1979 and 1987
Total Women Percentage women
Recorders 112 1 0.9
Assistant Recorders 1— 1— —
Stipendiary Magistrates 45 2 4.4

Total Women Percentage women
1979
High Court Judges 73 1 1.4
Circuit Judges 302 6 2
Recorders 369 9 2.4
Assistant Recorders 1— 1— —
Stipendiary Magistrates 51 2 3.9

Total Women Percentage women
1987
High Court Judges 79 3 3.8
Circuit Judges 390 16 4.1
Recorders 558 23 4.1
Assistant Recorders 420 29 6.9
Stipendiary Magistrates 66 8 12.1
1 Information not known