Majority of lawyers recommended to be judges went to state school

The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) released their first social mobility statistics, showing almost two-thirds of lawyers – who attended state schools in the past – were recommended to become judges, covering posts in: the High Court, County Court, Family Court, Magistrate’s Court and First Tier Tribunal.

A 2014 survey by the government’s social mobility and child poverty commission found more than 70% of senior judges were educated from private schools.

However, JAC figures – based on 28 selection exercises for 5,000 applicants – have shown 62% of those recommended by the commission in 2017-18 for immediate appointment were educated at state schools.

The other 34% went to a fee-paying school, with the remaining 4% educated abroad. In the same group, 44% had one or more parent who attended university and 56% were the first in their family to attend university.

Figures for England and Wales suggests the judiciary is pushing towards transforming its current representation, despite criticism that solicitors and those from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are not making significant advances.

Andrea Coomber, director of the legal reform charity Justice, said: “While the statistics paint a more encouraging picture for appointments of women to the senior judiciary, the same can’t be said for BAME candidates and solicitors.”

Albeit 43% of female applicants becoming 47% of those recommended for appointment, BAME candidates, on the other hand, constituted 19% of competitors with only 13% of those recommended.

Peter Herbert, the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, said: “These statistics demonstrate that racial diversity in the judiciary is simply not happening fast enough. When a royal wedding ceremony demonstrates greater racial diversity than our justice system something is going wrong.”

“We urge the minister of justice to adopt clear targets for the recruitment, retention and promotion of BME judges and magistrates. A judicial ‘Rooney rule’ should be adopted so that every BME candidate who fits the criteria must be interviewed.

“These are some of the basic measures necessary that will help to ensure the judiciary and magistracy truly represents the diverse society they serve.”