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Anon at 15.34: I am intrigued by your comment about "the complete absence of any evidence that increased diversity at the Bench will in any way change the way in which decisions are made, or what those decisions will be."

Do you mean that currently decisions betray a white male middle class bias, which should be corrected but this sort of scheme isn't the way to do it? Or do you mean that candidates selected properly, irrespective of diversity, will always tend to decide matters in the same sort of way, because that's what being a judge requires?

On either basis, there is then an argument that there should be some diversity bias (without compromising quality, but on the basis of two equal identical candidates in terms of ability and experience): one of the old mantras about justice is that it must be seen to be done, and with a diverse population there is some merit, in terms of securing respect for the judiciary and the rule of law, in having judges whose profiles reflect the profiles of the people living in the UK.