Its objectives are that every judge fosters an inclusive working environment; expansion of the applicant pool through more engagement with under-represented groups; and career development for all salaried and fee-paid judges.
It will focus on increasing the number of Black judges, providing reasonable adjustments where required by disabled judges, and expanding diversity in the pool of applicants to the High Court and above.
More specific goals include a target of at least 1,000 judges involved in mentoring colleagues or other legal professionals to create a more inclusive workplace, and increasing the number of solicitors in the judiciary.
Welcoming the strategy, Law Society president Mark Evans said: ‘The number of Black legal professionals on the bench has remained stubbornly stagnant for over a decade—remaining at 1%—showing that efforts to make improvements are not having the desired impact.’
