Latest Diversity Update published

The JAC Diversity Update is a biannual publication that reports on ongoing progress and new activity undertaken by the JAC in line with the JAC’s diversity strategy. The strategy has three key strands: outreach; fair and non-discriminatory selection processes; and working with others to break down barriers.

This update includes recent highlights from the last 6 months, including JAC projects and work we have undertaken as part of the Judicial Diversity Forum (JDF), and some insights from the 2024 Diversity of the Judiciary Combined Statistics Report, including in-depth exploration of the underrepresentation of women in some senior courts roles, and graphs tracking representation of different ethnicities at various levels of legal experience.

Recent highlights include:

• In February 2025, the Judicial Diversity Forum (JDF) published its priorities and actions for 2025 which sets out the activities that JDF partners will undertake in the next year and how the impact of each initiative will be measured.
• The JAC has developed a new Communications and Engagement Strategy for 2025-2027, which was approved by the JAC Board in December 2024. The strategy places a particular focus on using clear, targeted, and accessible communications to ensure all eligible candidates feel informed and supported.
• In January 2025, the Judiciary published a revised Judicial Skills and Abilities Framework, first introduced in 2014, to reflect the skills required of contemporary and future judicial office holders. The JAC has worked with the judiciary over the last year to assist in developing a framework which can be used across the recruitment, training and development of judicial office holders. The Framework has been developed to be comprehensible and accessible to all. The JAC has announced it is now reviewing its processes in light of the revised framework and candidates will be updated later in 2025.
• Following the publication of the summary of our 2-year research project, which aimed to further explore the differential outcomes observed for some candidate groups at the JAC qualifying test (QT), we continue to implement the actions agreed. We have set up a JAC QT working group to deliver against the wider JDF work programme. Actions completed include the publication of new dedicated guidance and changes to the time limits of the QT.
• As part of our work with partners to continuously improve the accessibility and transparency of statistics around judicial appointments, we will be working closely with MoJ statisticians to develop an interactive online statistics tool to accompany the 2025 Diversity of the Judiciary Combined Statistics report. This will allow greater access to time series data across different reporting years and the ability to visualise differences in diversity data across different judicial or professional roles. The tool will assist the JDF in highlighting new or emerging areas of focus from trends.
• The Targeted Outreach and Research Team continues to support underrepresented candidates through the Targeted Outreach Programme. As of November 2024, the programme has received over 950 applications, of which, following sifts by former JAC Commissioners, 526 candidates are taking part in the programme and receiving support from a Targeted Outreach Team Commissioner and/or a judicial guide. Of accepted candidates, 71% are women, 61% are ethnic minority, 18% declared a disability and 66% are solicitors.

Previous versions of the JAC’s Diversity Updates