Law School hosts ‘Women in the Judiciary’ initiative

  • 22/06/2015

Leading legal lights discuss career as judges

Women in the Judiciary - Making it Happen - 11.06.15

LEADING female judges came together at Manchester Law School to inspire women to consider applying for judicial appointment.

The event, Women in the Judiciary, was the fourth that has taken place nationwide, and is part of a wider programme for encouraging judicial diversity.

Although there has been a steady increase in the number of female judges it remains the case that only 32% of judicial appointments are held by women.

The event was an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of the courts and tribunals judiciary and to learn about the different judicial roles that are open.

The event was an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of the courts and tribunals judiciary and to learn about the different judicial roles that are open.

This event, chaired by Mrs Justice Nicola Davies DBE, was part of a number of initiatives to increase the percentage of women in judicial appointments.

Cath Little, Head of the Law School, said: “Manchester Law School was delighted to host this event to support widening participation in the judiciary and our local practitioner stakeholders. It was lovely to see so many of our former students in attendance and we hope to see them in judicial positions in due course.”

More than 80 delegates from barristers, solicitors, chartered legal executives and legal academics heard from a distinguished panel of speakers including The Rt Hon Lady Justice Hallett DBE, Employment Judge Rebecca Howard, District Judge Ranj Matharu and Sheila Newman from the Judicial Appointments Commission.

Lady Justice Hallett said at the event: “I am delighted to see so many women who are possibly interested in a career at the bench. I hope that because of tonight, that possibility will be translated to fact.”

The audience heard that women tend to underestimate their own abilities and delay a judicial career with a belief that that ‘now is not the right time to take steps to apply for judicial appointment’.

The speakers described their own journey to judicial appointment. Rebecca Howard advised the audience that there is no fixed pre-defined route into the judiciary. The main advice was to ‘research, research, research’ by talking to judges, visiting courts and reading cases.

The audience were told how a judicial role is not easy and it can be a very intense – but it is enormously rewarding and intellectually challenging, requiring a wide variety of skills including problem solving and managing people.

After the speeches, the speakers, with the assistance of a wide range of judges from the Manchester area, were on hand at the lively networking event to answer questions and give advice and encouragement on applying for a judicial appointment.