Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report by the University of Manchester entitled Racial Bias and the Bench, published in November 2022, whether he has had recent discussions with the Lady Chief Justice on the recommendation to (a) publish the Judicial Executive Board report into judicial bullying and racism and (b) make the judiciary more (i) transparent and (ii) accountable.

It is standard practice not to comment on discussions between Ministers and the judiciary.

To protect the independence of the judiciary, it is a matter for the judiciary to determine which judiciary commissioned reports are published. Under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Lady Chief Justice (LCJ), as Head of the Judiciary of England and Wales, has responsibility for the maintenance of appropriate arrangements for the welfare, training and guidance of the Judiciary of England and Wales. The LCJ carries out these responsibilities through the Judicial Executive Board (JEB) and the Judges’ Council. Successive LCJs have laid annual reports before Parliament. The report published by the previous LCJ in September 2023 reported on training, welfare and related matters.