Video 8.2 PAJE Diversity

What advice would we give individuals who are considering applying for judicial office?

[Person 1] If you're looking to apply for judicial office, you might want to go and visit your local courthouse and see what happens. Your local Judge is a useful contact, because he or she may be able to offer you a day behind the scenes. The diversity and community relations judges are across the country. And we're involved in all sorts of activities to try to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for judicial office. There are various events and I'd encourage you to attend one of the events because you can meet judges in a less formal environment. And they can share what life as a judge really is. Because if you are looking to apply for judicial office, nothing beats knowing what the job is really about.

[Person 2] What I'd say to anyone who is thinking about applying for the judiciary, have a very good look at the competencies and work out where there are gaps and then don't be dismayed but fill the gaps. So for example, if you identify that you don't have quite enough evidence to talk about demonstrating authority, which fits in with the competency of working and communicating with others, don't write yourself off, look for opportunities where you can do that. So for example, at work can you put yourself forward to become a team leader? Or to run a particular project? Or outside work, can you put yourself forward to be a school governor, or to run a program with a charity, for example? All of those will help you to demonstrate the skill that's needed and to fill that gap. And if you do that systematically you should be able to demonstrate all of the competencies by the time it comes for your application.

[Person 3] The Pre-application Judicial Education Program is just one example of a number of positive steps, proactive steps, being taken by the judiciary to promote diversity. The online program consists of a number of short videos designed to give an insight into what life is like as a judge and what a career in the judiciary could look like. They are aimed at potential applicants who have come from perhaps a non-traditional, non-litigation background and they talk about the skills and abilities that are required which some potential applicants may already possess in their day job as a lawyer.

[Person 4] If you are from an underrepresented group and you’re thinking you'd like to know more about a judicial career or apply, there is a scheme. If you contact the judicial office and ask them about work shadowing, you can shadow a judge, find out a little bit more about what the role entails. We also have a mentoring scheme for newly appointed judges, so that a newly appointed judge can build up a relationship with a mentor and refer to them for difficult issues that might come up. Which can be helpful for newly appointed judges. There is a group of diversity and community relations judges who meet once a year to share experiences and talk about work that we're doing, but who also attend a lot of the outreach events that my colleague has already talked about.

[Person 3] So other positive action being taken by the judiciary involves working with the judicial appointments commission and various professional bodies, such as the Bar Council, Law Society, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, whereby a number of host events are being organized across England and Wales that are designed to attract the interest from underrepresented groups with a view to increase diversity amongst the bench so that it truly reflects the make of a society.

So far as diversity is concerned I recognize that a judiciary that broadly reflects society is likely to command confidence and respect.