Judge: Putting more women in top legal posts would have ‘appalling’ results
ONE of the country’s most senior judges has claimed that rushing to put more women at the top of the legal profession could have ‘appalling consequences’ for British justice. Lord Sumption, a Supreme Court justice, said a drive for gender balance could ‘destroy’ the judiciary.
Skewing the selection of candidates in favour of females could deter men from applying, he said, and it could take 50 years before the number of women on the bench matched the number of males.
He also claimed the lack of female judges was mainly the result of a ‘lifestyle choice’ by women unwilling to tolerate long hours and poor working conditions.
Despite stressing his support for gender equality, Lord Sumption was in hot water last night over his controversial remarks. Lawyers and politicians lined up to criticise the 66year-old judge – and his comments reignited a furious debate about sexism in the legal profession.
Last month, female barrister Charlotte Proudman hit the headlines when she publicly accused married lawyer Alexander CarterSilk, 57, of misogyny for complimenting her on her ‘ stunning’ photo on a networking site. In an interview with London’s Evening Standard, Lord Sumption insisted it took time to redress gender imbalances in the judiciary.
‘These things simply can’t be transformed overnight, not without appalling consequence in other directions,’ he said. ‘You’ve got to be patient. It has to happen naturally. It will happen naturally. But in the history of a society like ours, 50 years is a very short time.’
British justice was ‘a terribly delicate organism’, said Lord Sumption. ‘We have got to be careful not to do things at a speed which will make male candidates feel the cards are stacked against them. If we do that we will find that male candidates don’t apply in the right numbers. While 50 per cent of barristers are now female, only 12 per cent are QCs, 24 per cent are judges and just one woman sits among the 12 Supreme Court justices.
Kirsty Brimelow QC, of Doughty Street Chambers, said: ‘These comments exemplify what is wrong with the way women in the profession are viewed by those in the highest echelons of power. His comments encapsulate his deepest fears that power vested in the old boys’ network could come under siege.’
But the Supreme Court defended Lord Sumption. It said: ‘The full quotes make clear that he believes that increasing diversity is important, and that the range of hidden barriers to improving diversity present a very complex problem.’
tom Utley – Page 14