JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND DIVERSITY

That this House is both alarmed and disappointed that the system of judicial appointments has failed to appoint a single black and minority ethnic candidate to a senior judicial position in the two years since the inception of the Judicial Appointments Commission; notes that this system has also failed to recommend a sufficient number of black and minority ethnic candidates for appointment in other competitions; believes that it is of crucial importance that the judiciary properly reflects the society it serves; and calls for an open and independent inquiry by the Government into the judicial appointments system to identify the specific causes for these failures and to take action to address them as a matter of urgency.