Ethnic minorities and under represented groups, are to be boosted in appointments as Judges.
The Judicial Appointments Commission will apply an “equal merit provision” from 1st July onwards.
This means that where two or more candidates for an appointment as a Judge are of equal merit, a candidate from an under represented group may be given the position on the basis of their race or gender.
This may prove to be a controversial move as it does encourage positive discrimination but it will hopefully result in a more diverse and representative judiciary. The judges in the courts have long been criticised for being male, white and middle-class. In such a diverse country, the Judges deciding cases should be diverse.
Time will tell whether anyone will challenge such a move in the employment tribunal or in Europe.
