JAC & the Law Society take action to encourage solicitor judges
The number of solicitors joining the judiciary is increasing but more needs to be done, according to the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).
The JAC and the Law Society launched a joint plan last week to support solicitor applicants, including a series of outreach events across the country, tailored to the 2011/12 selection programme.
The Law Society will highlight issues facing solicitors, when it chairs the JAC diversity forum, and will run practical workshops to support aspiring solicitor judges to prepare for the selection process as well as launching support materials online. The JAC will develop its online material for solicitors.
Research by the JAC and Ministry of Justice into the appointment of solicitor judges over the past ten years show that more solicitors have been selected to senior judicial posts since 2006, when JAC launched, than before.
Some 95% of district judge (magistrates’ courts) appointees are solicitors under JAC, compared with 62% before. The proportion of solicitor recorders in the Northern, North Eastern and Welsh circuits rose from 5% to 9%. Solicitor appointments for salaried employment tribunal
