Judicial Attitudes Survey: safety a concern in court

For male judges, the figures were lower―36% had safety concerns in court and 32% out of court.

However, this marks an improvement on 2016, when more than half of all judges expressed concern about safety in court. The survey, published this week, was carried out for the judiciary by the Judicial institute at UCL and completed by 99% of judges.

Two-thirds of respondents felt judges are less respected by society at large now than they were five years ago. A mere nine per cent felt valued by the government, and only one in eight by the media.

The Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and the Senior President of Tribunals Sir Keith Lindblom said: ‘A judge’s work is fulfilling but also often stressful and harrowing even in normal times.

‘We know that during the pandemic they, like so many, have had to show resilience and determination as they have kept the vital public service of the courts operating under difficult conditions. We express our gratitude again to them and to the staff and court staff who support them in maintaining justice.

‘This is the third time a comprehensive survey of judicial attitudes has been undertaken.  It provides valuable insight into matters of interest and concern and helps inform decision making which affects the judiciary as a whole.’

The full survey results are available at: bit.ly/3bHeMGD.