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New statistics continue to show positive steps towards improved judicial diversity

Published:
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The Judicial and Legal Diversity Board (JLDB), co-chaired by the Lord Chancellor and Lady Chief Justice, has today published the annual Diversity of the Judiciary report, covering statistics for the judiciary, judicial appointments and the legal professions.

The Judicial Appointments Commission welcomes today’s publication.  Since our establishment 20 years ago, we have made positive steps towards increased diversity in applicants and appointments across all under-represented groups.

We are not complacent, and we acknowledge that there is much more to do to build a judiciary that better reflects the society it serves.

How has diversity in appointments to the judiciary improved?

For legal exercises in 2025-26, there are increases in the representation of both women and ethnic minority candidates recommended for appointment. Women made up 55% of recommendations this year, up from 52% last year, while candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds made up 18% of recommendations, up from 17%. The representation of ethnic minority candidates in recommendations was in line with, or slightly above, ethnic minority representation in the eligible pool for the fourth year in succession.

What more is the JAC doing?

While the statistics for women and ethnic minority candidates show increases in representation of these groups, we know there is still a lot of work to be done. Improving the diversity of the judiciary is a shared effort and change is gradual, given the relatively small turnover in the judiciary each year. This year, for example, Black candidates made up 3.2% of recommendations for legal roles, compared with 2.5% of the overall eligible pool, which is the highest proportion for this group on record. However, the overall representation of Black judges in the judiciary increased from 1.5% in April 2025 to 1.6% in April 2026.

We know that disparities still exist between ethnic minority candidates and White candidates when comparing those applying for legal judicial roles and those being recommended. Understanding and removing any remaining barriers continues to be a focus for us.

Ethnic minority candidates apply for legal judicial roles in much higher numbers than their representation in the pool of those eligible to apply. We are doing further work to look at how differences in candidates’ specific legal backgrounds and experiences may lead to lower success rates, which is a commitment we made in our 2026-2027 Business Plan. This plan also sets out our priorities and actions to address other diversity challenges, such as the continued low representation of women applying for senior courts roles. 

Our Diversity Update, published today, showcases the work we are doing, both individually and with our partners in the legal sector, to support candidates from under-represented groups and address barriers.