Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Barbara Follett (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 9 May 2006 on behalf of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Judiciary (Women)

Question: I welcome my right hon. and learned Friend’s response: it is exactly what we need, because the Equal Opportunities Commission has said that, unless we introduce part-time and flexible working to the sector, it will take 40 years to achieve equality between men and women in the senior judiciary. Will she please continue to press on those subjects? Perhaps we can then have the sort of representation that we have for Department for Constitutional Affairs Ministers in the Commons, where it is 100 per cent. women.

Answer: I thank my hon. Friend for her comments. She is absolutely right to suggest that, although we have taken some steps, we have a long way to go, but we will be supported in that work by the Judicial Appointments Commission, under Baroness Usha Prashar, who I am delighted to say is the first chair of the commission, and by the Lord Chancellor. Although we have taken a lot of action, there is a long way to go. The Crown court, where all the serious criminal cases are heard, is 90 per cent. men. The Queen’s bench division has 93 per cent. male judges, and the chancery division of the High Court is 100 per cent. men. We want to have judges that reflect modern Britain—not just an old boys’ network.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 446 c161
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Subjects: Career development Women Equality Judiciary Judicial Appointments Commission for England and Wales Judges Flexible working Staff Part-time employment Job sharing Career breaks
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk