Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on encouraging the recruitment of more (a) women and (b) ethnic minority (i) judges and (ii) lawyers.

The Secretary of State regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of encouraging diversity in the judiciary and legal professional bodies. The Lord Chancellor is a member of the Judicial Diversity Forum (JDF) and works closely with the Lord Chief Justice, Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission and other members of the JDF, including the three relevant legal professional bodies, to address barriers to achieving greater diversity in the judiciary. In September 2020, JDF members published a summary of a wide range of actions they are undertaking at different career stages, collectively or individually, to help increase diversity in the judiciary. The JDF will publish a one-year update to the action plan this Autumn.

Statutory responsibility for encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession sits with the approved regulators, overseen by the oversight regulator, the Legal Services Board. The Government is committed to supporting a diverse legal profession and working closely with the professional bodies, regulators and key stakeholders to encourage greater diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.