Pale, male and stale - for the uninitiated, that is the latest catchphrase to describe our old boy judiciary and one that kept cropping up at the Association of Women Barristers' seminar on diversity last week. But as one clever woman barrister in the audience questioned, does that mean that our judiciary is suffering from PMS? One thing is for sure - with the Commission for Judicial Appointments slamming the High Court 'tap on the shoulder' selection process as so biased that it should be halted immediately, it has certainly been a difficult time of the month for our bewigged friends. Meanwhile, the feisty Vera Baird QC MP had a few things to say about barristers' attitudes to the bench. She recounted a tale of one middle-aged barrister who, after asking her to repeat herself four times, told her: 'I think I'm getting rather deaf - perhaps it is time I went to the circuit bench.' Guess what he is doing now.