JAC and Chancery Lane launch training package for aspiring judges
Thursday 04 February 2010 by Catherine Baksi
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) and the Law Society today launched a training and information package to encourage more solicitors to apply for judicial posts.
The two organisations have designed a courtroom training video and commentary specifically targeted at solicitors to assist them in the part of the selection exercise that assesses understanding of the court process. Solicitors are often at a disadvantage compared with barristers because of their lack of court-based work.
The video shows an example role-play used in selection exercises to simulate a court or tribunal environment, where the applicant takes on the role of a judge.
The JAC and Law Society have also published an information booklet explaining the selection process. It addresses some of the myths surrounding judicial appointments, for example the perception that candidates need to have been an advocate in the High Court or have friends at senior levels in the judiciary.
Law Society president Robert Heslett said: ‘The Law Society is committed to a solicitors profession that reflects the society it serves, and such an approach should apply to the judiciary.’
A JAC spokesman said the commission was working to develop ‘an even sharper and better targeted approach’ to encourage and support talented lawyers from a more diverse background.
‘We have fair and open processes, but our research showed there are barriers outside our control,’ he said.
- See Joshua Rozenberg
Comments
Judicial shadowing
When I did this and spent a day sat with the judge in the Crown Court, he told me that as a non criminal practitioner the criminal bar would 'make mincemeat of me'. I did not dispute this at the time, but can only reflect that he assumed I would walk into the court without undertaking any preparation for such a new role. Either that or he assumed from my politeness to him that as a woman I might be incapable of speaking appropriately when in Court. So was his remark simply a failure to appreciate that one is prepared before stepping into the courtroom or gender stereotyping?
It seems to me that sitting on the bench could be a lonely place, and I have certainly been deterred from applying even after many years' experience in the profession in both contentious and non contentious work, and gaining further postgrad qualifications recently.
In order to address the old boys' network problem I understand that one must now sit a test as part of the selection procedure. Whilst I am willing to undergo training if selected, frankly at the end of my long career in the law I do not want to revert to sitting exams. If one is not up to the job it would soon become apparent during the training and probationary period and unsuitable candidates could be sifted out then.
When female DJs first began to sit in the County Courts there were some appalling examples of who should NOT be sitting on the bench. For reasons of political correctness (?) they were not addressed. Some early female judges brought the Court itself into disrepute. So I am now very cynical about the whole prospect of going from the solicitors' profession to the bench.