§ Lord Dixonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action it is taking to improve the diversity of the magistracy. [HL5399]
§ The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)At the beginning of October, I published a national strategy for recruitment to the magistracy, setting out my plans to increase the number of appointments as a justice of the peace, and to encourage applications from people with a wider range of backgrounds. In furtherance of the national strategy, I am now amending my directions to the committees which advise me on magisterial appointments. The committees are asked to achieve a Bench which is broadly representative of the community which they serve. Following advice from Royal Commissions in 1910 and 1948, political association has hitherto been used as an indicator of social class in seeking to achieve that balance. I am satisfied that the way people vote is no longer a reliable guide to social perspective and standing. I am therefore introducing a new system; applicants will identify themselves against occupational and industrial groupings, based on standard classifications used by the Office for National Statistics. I am also telling the committees that there need be no lower age128WA limit for applicants who can show that they have the key qualities needed for appointment. Copies of the national strategy document and of the new application form, which sets out the occupation groupings categories, have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.