Over 100 years before the judiciary reflects the Black population in our society
Black judges make up just 1.09% of the judiciary in England and Wales, compared to 1.02% in 2014.
At that rate of progress, it would take until 2149 for the proportion of the judiciary who are black to match the current estimate for the general population (3.5%).
Faster progress for women and Asian representation
For comparison, Asian judges currently make up 4.79% of the judiciary, up from 2.53% eight years ago.
If this rate of increase were to continue, the percentage of judges who are Asian would match estimates for the general population (8%) by 2033.
Women currently make up around a third of judges.
At current trends, it will be another decade before half of the judiciary are women.
Tackling diversity in the judiciary
Responding, Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: “We need a judiciary that truly reflects our diverse society.
“It is simply unacceptable that it could take over a century for black people to be truly represented on the bench.
“We must address the structural barriers that are holding talented candidates back.”
Support for aspiring judges from under-represented groups
The Pre-Application Judicial Education (PAJE) programme helps lawyers from under-represented groups who are interested in becoming a judge to feel more confident about applying and to prepare for the process.
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