UK has the lowest proportion of women judges in Europe, research shows

The UK has the lowest proportion of women judges in the whole of the European Union with fewer than 40 per cent across all court tiers, international research has revealed.

The analysis of 45 nations including the EU shows that only Azerbaijan, Armenia, Morocco and Iceland have lower proportions of women judges than the UK’s 39 per cent.

In the high and supreme courts, the UK fares even worse in comparison with just a quarter of its judges women, according to the research by the Council of Europe.

Top are countries including Latvia where 81 per cent of the judges are women, Slovenia 21 per cent and Hungary 31 per cent.

Most male dominated is Azerbaijan where just 14 per cent are women, followed by Armenia (25 per cent), Morocco (28 per cent) and Iceland (37 per cent).

Legal experts have suggested Britain's low ranking could be a consequence of its legal system where lawyers become judges after pursuing careers as barristers or solicitors, whereas in some other countries there are direct-entry schemes.

It means that women who take career breaks can potentially be at a greater disadvantage in the UK.

Amanda Pinto QC, chairwoman of the Bar Council, said: “The lack of women in the higher levels of the judiciary must be urgently addressed and rectified in the interests of justice. Progress has been too slow.

“Even appreciating that our judicial system recruits judges who already have significant legal experience – unlike many other countries that recruit through a separate career route – this report shows that we lag behind many of our neighbours in Europe.”

Law Society president David Greene said: “Judges sit at the core of the justice process and it is vital that the judiciary reflects the diversity of the society it serves and that of the legal profession.

“Women make up more than half of the solicitor profession of England and Wales, and half of all judicial applicants for legal roles. However, currently only 32 per cent of court judges and 47 per cent of tribunal judges are women. The proportion of women in senior court roles is even lower.

“We continue to press for further improvement in the gender diversity of the judiciary, and will continue working with stakeholders to understand better the reasons for those disparities and to carry that understanding forward to ensure application processes are open and fair.”

The figures show, however, that the UK is the most generous for providing legal aid with an average of 31 euros per person in England and Wales and 48 Euros per person in Northern Ireland. Only Sweden comes close with 35.6 euros per head.