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Ethnic monitoring of judicial appointments

01 January 1991

Ethnic monitoring of judicial appointments
artdoc December=1991

The Lord Chancellor, Lord MacKay of Clashfern, sensitive to
charges of racism in the legal profession, announced that ethnic
monitoring of judicial appointments would begin on 1 October
1991, and has appointed the chair of the Bar Race Relations
Committee to work out ways of recruiting more black judges and
QCs. At present there is only one black judge. Then on 12 October
1991 the Bar Council agreed proposals for an ethnic quota for all
barristers' chambers. This was set at 6% (the equivalent of one
barrister in an average sized chambers) and 12% pupil barristers.

The measure was not uniformly welcomed by black barristers.
One, Sally Barber, said she wanted an organic, not an imposed
solution, to racism at the Bar. `I don't want to be a victim of
positive discrimination', she said. But the Society of Black
Lawyers threatened a boycott of the Bar Council if the measure
did not get through.
Times 8.10.91; Guardian 13.10.91.