Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 18 July (HL948 and HL949), how many judges in HM Courts and Tribunals service who are over 50 years of age are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Government recognises that judges from a Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) background are under-represented in the judiciary in England and Wales when compared with the general population. We are committed to continue working with the judiciary and all others concerned to make sure that, while appointments will always be made on merit, the pool of candidates is as diverse as possible.
On average over the last 5 years, 11 per cent of candidates recommended for judicial appointment were from BAME groups. Meanwhile, 10 per cent of appointed judges aged over 50 were from BAME backgrounds on 1 April 2015.
The Government is committed to working with other members of the Judicial Diversity Forum, including the Judicial Appointments Commission, the judiciary and the legal professions, to explore ways of increasing the percentage of judges from under-represented groups, including individuals from a BAME background, whilst continuing to safeguard the fundamental principle of appointment on merit. The Forum is considering the feasibility of proposals around pre-application training. The Government fully supports such work and is strongly committed to the judicial diversity agenda.
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 18 July (HL948 and HL949), what assessment they have made of the factors contributing to the low number of black, Asian and ethnic minority candidates being recommended for judicial appointments; how those factors are being addressed; and whether they plan to support the development and introduction of pre-appointment training for those from under-represented groups seeking judicial appointments.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Government recognises that judges from a Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) background are under-represented in the judiciary in England and Wales when compared with the general population. We are committed to continue working with the judiciary and all others concerned to make sure that, while appointments will always be made on merit, the pool of candidates is as diverse as possible.
On average over the last 5 years, 11 per cent of candidates recommended for judicial appointment were from BAME groups. Meanwhile, 10 per cent of appointed judges aged over 50 were from BAME backgrounds on 1 April 2015.
The Government is committed to working with other members of the Judicial Diversity Forum, including the Judicial Appointments Commission, the judiciary and the legal professions, to explore ways of increasing the percentage of judges from under-represented groups, including individuals from a BAME background, whilst continuing to safeguard the fundamental principle of appointment on merit. The Forum is considering the feasibility of proposals around pre-application training. The Government fully supports such work and is strongly committed to the judicial diversity agenda.
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to support the development and introduction of pre-appointment training for those from under-represented groups seeking judicial appointments.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Government is committed to improving judicial diversity and co-ordinates this effort through the Judicial Diversity Forum, a cross-stakeholder group with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), the judiciary and legal profession.
The Judicial Diversity Forum replaced the Judicial Diversity Taskforce in 2014 as the body responsible for encouraging judicial diversity; it has implemented a number of schemes to help improve judicial diversity. Recent examples include the 100 plus Diversity and Community Relations Judges doing invaluable work with the community to expel myths about working for the judiciary and interact with schools, universities and the legal professions. There is also a Judicial Mentoring Scheme where judges volunteer to be mentors; providing invaluable advice and guidance to those from under-represented groups seeking a judicial appointment or those wishing to progress in their judicial career.
Data on judicial appointments are published regularly on gov.uk. The below figures show how many candidates were recommended by the JAC for judicial appointment in each of the past six years and how many of those were (1) from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, (2) women and (3) disabled. As these figures are JAC recommendations, they may include a small number of candidates that do not go on to be appointed.
The Government acknowledges that within the judiciary there is an under-representation of women, those who are disabled and those from a BAME background. However, recent statistics show some improvement which suggests ongoing diversity initiatives, co-ordinated by the Forum, are beginning to have an impact:
1) 12% of judges across Courts and Tribunals under 50 years of age are from a BAME background (around 14% of the UK population are from BAME groups).
2) JAC Official Statistics from April 2015 to March 2016 showed women made up 45% of those recommended for appointment overall (140 of 308 recommendations).
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what resources they have provided for diversity and equality initiatives in the judiciary; and what assessment they have made of the success of those initiatives to date.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Government is committed to improving judicial diversity and co-ordinates this effort through the Judicial Diversity Forum, a cross-stakeholder group with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), the judiciary and legal profession.
The Judicial Diversity Forum replaced the Judicial Diversity Taskforce in 2014 as the body responsible for encouraging judicial diversity; it has implemented a number of schemes to help improve judicial diversity. Recent examples include the 100 plus Diversity and Community Relations Judges doing invaluable work with the community to expel myths about working for the judiciary and interact with schools, universities and the legal professions. There is also a Judicial Mentoring Scheme where judges volunteer to be mentors; providing invaluable advice and guidance to those from under-represented groups seeking a judicial appointment or those wishing to progress in their judicial career.
Data on judicial appointments are published regularly on gov.uk. The below figures show how many candidates were recommended by the JAC for judicial appointment in each of the past six years and how many of those were (1) from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, (2) women and (3) disabled. As these figures are JAC recommendations, they may include a small number of candidates that do not go on to be appointed.
The Government acknowledges that within the judiciary there is an under-representation of women, those who are disabled and those from a BAME background. However, recent statistics show some improvement which suggests ongoing diversity initiatives, co-ordinated by the Forum, are beginning to have an impact:
1) 12% of judges across Courts and Tribunals under 50 years of age are from a BAME background (around 14% of the UK population are from BAME groups).
2) JAC Official Statistics from April 2015 to March 2016 showed women made up 45% of those recommended for appointment overall (140 of 308 recommendations).
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many judges have been appointed in each of the past six years; and how many of those were (1) from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, (2) women, and (3) disabled.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Government is committed to improving judicial diversity and co-ordinates this effort through the Judicial Diversity Forum, a cross-stakeholder group with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), the judiciary and legal profession.
The Judicial Diversity Forum replaced the Judicial Diversity Taskforce in 2014 as the body responsible for encouraging judicial diversity; it has implemented a number of schemes to help improve judicial diversity. Recent examples include the 100 plus Diversity and Community Relations Judges doing invaluable work with the community to expel myths about working for the judiciary and interact with schools, universities and the legal professions. There is also a Judicial Mentoring Scheme where judges volunteer to be mentors; providing invaluable advice and guidance to those from under-represented groups seeking a judicial appointment or those wishing to progress in their judicial career.
Data on judicial appointments are published regularly on gov.uk. The below figures show how many candidates were recommended by the JAC for judicial appointment in each of the past six years and how many of those were (1) from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, (2) women and (3) disabled. As these figures are JAC recommendations, they may include a small number of candidates that do not go on to be appointed.
The Government acknowledges that within the judiciary there is an under-representation of women, those who are disabled and those from a BAME background. However, recent statistics show some improvement which suggests ongoing diversity initiatives, co-ordinated by the Forum, are beginning to have an impact:
1) 12% of judges across Courts and Tribunals under 50 years of age are from a BAME background (around 14% of the UK population are from BAME groups).
2) JAC Official Statistics from April 2015 to March 2016 showed women made up 45% of those recommended for appointment overall (140 of 308 recommendations).
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of progress towards achieving a more diverse judiciary in the last six years.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Government is committed to improving judicial diversity and co-ordinates this effort through the Judicial Diversity Forum, a cross-stakeholder group with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), the judiciary and legal profession.
The Judicial Diversity Forum replaced the Judicial Diversity Taskforce in 2014 as the body responsible for encouraging judicial diversity; it has implemented a number of schemes to help improve judicial diversity. Recent examples include the 100 plus Diversity and Community Relations Judges doing invaluable work with the community to expel myths about working for the judiciary and interact with schools, universities and the legal professions. There is also a Judicial Mentoring Scheme where judges volunteer to be mentors; providing invaluable advice and guidance to those from under-represented groups seeking a judicial appointment or those wishing to progress in their judicial career.
Data on judicial appointments are published regularly on gov.uk. The below figures show how many candidates were recommended by the JAC for judicial appointment in each of the past six years and how many of those were (1) from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, (2) women and (3) disabled. As these figures are JAC recommendations, they may include a small number of candidates that do not go on to be appointed.
The Government acknowledges that within the judiciary there is an under-representation of women, those who are disabled and those from a BAME background. However, recent statistics show some improvement which suggests ongoing diversity initiatives, co-ordinated by the Forum, are beginning to have an impact:
1) 12% of judges across Courts and Tribunals under 50 years of age are from a BAME background (around 14% of the UK population are from BAME groups).
2) JAC Official Statistics from April 2015 to March 2016 showed women made up 45% of those recommended for appointment overall (140 of 308 recommendations).
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the consequences of increasing disproportionality of black and minority ethnic young people in HM Prisons for future social cohesion.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The government is committed to making sure the criminal justice system is fair and just and recognises that continued work is needed to understand the experience of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) young people in the criminal justice system.
The Youth Justice Board is working with a wide range of organisations, including youth offending teams, to address the over-representation of BAME young people in the justice system.
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 10 June (HL139), what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute for Race Relations, <i>Dying for Justice</i>, and in particular the finding that, between 1991 and 2014, over 500 deaths occurred in some form of custody, resulting in 10 verdicts of unlawful killing, five prosecutions, and no convictions.
Answered by Lord Faulks
Every death in custody is a tragedy. Each one is investigated independently by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman or the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and is the subject of a coroner’s inquest. Every effort is made to learn lessons from these investigations, and the prevention of further deaths is a priority for police, prisons and immigration detention services.
The very small number of cases in which criminal offences are believed to have been committed are referred for further investigation by the police and/or to the Crown Prosecution Service, and where appropriate charges are brought. The final outcome in such cases is a matter for the courts.
The report by the Institute of Race Relations brings together information from a number of sources to highlight the particular issue of deaths of Black and Minority Ethnic people in custody. It describes 509 cases of ‘suspicious’ death, including large numbers of natural causes deaths as well as self-inflicted deaths and the ten cases that resulted in inquest findings of unlawful killing. These deaths occurred over a period of more than twenty years.
The report acknowledges some of the improvements that have been made during that period. It also reminds us of the enduring nature of many of the issues related to deaths in custody, particularly that the families of the deceased and others in the Black and Minority Ethnic community continue to lack confidence that appropriate action is being taken in response to such deaths. The Government is working to address this, for example through more effective liaison with families, as well as improvements to restraint techniques and training.
The Government announced in February 2014 that Lord Harris of Haringey would lead a review into self-inflicted deaths of 18-24 year olds in NOMS custody. The report will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the families of individuals who have died in custody or detention have access to justice.
Answered by Lord Faulks
There must be a coroners’ inquest into any death in state detention, including deaths from natural causes. The inquest must be held with a jury where the death is not from natural causes. The inquest must ascertain how, when and where the person died.
In addition, all deaths in custody are subject to a police investigation and an investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. Once the inquest has been concluded, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s office publishes a detailed ‘Fatal Incident Report’ on the death which includes recommendations to prevent further deaths.
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they undertook consultations prior to taking the decision to stop publishing annual statistical data on employment tribunal and employment appeal tribunal cases; if so, with whom they consulted and what were the results; and whether the consultation was published.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly statistical data on employment tribunals and summary data for employment tribunal appeal cases. The latest statistics can be found at the following link:
Detailed statistics on employment appeal tribunal cases are still published annually but no longer released as a standalone publication. They are included within annual tables published in September each year alongside the Tribunal Statistics Quarterly Bulletin. The latest statistics can be found at the following link in the spreadsheet named Employment and EAT tribunal statistics: 2013 to 2014.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2014