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@Anonymous; Commented on: 12 July 2018 12:53 GMT:

"...Hmmm. A rather misleading headline, this, because it implies that at one time there was some progress.

What the figures actually show is that year-on-year since 2014 there has been no increase in the proportion of non-barrister Judges in either the Courts or the Tribunals and that overall we are 3% down on the position in 2014.

Most stark is the percentage for the Courts as a whole. JAC stats tell us that solicitors make up about 85% of the eligible pool from which appointments can be made but (as these latest stats show) only 34% of the Judges, and that they are bunched mostly at the lowest level. ..."

I suspect that the only way around this is to Make the Judiciary a separate 'Professional' Qualification on top of Firstly Solicitor then Barrister / Advocate (again the latter a separate College and with separate entry exams).

If you read the History of the Serjeant At Law (The Order of the Coif; J.F. Pollock), they abolished the office with the Court of Common Pleas. Those remaining were looking rather wistful at the end in Court after the Judicature Acts 1873-1875.

I suspect the only way around this is to make all Judicial Offices a College that one studies for and passes Professional Exams to join.

The tap on the shoulder obviously continues at the moment, for the moment....