*/
Salary and reluctance to make Circuit visits deter potential High Court judges, but the prestige of appointment is still a major draw.
The report, The attractiveness of senior judicial appointment to highly qualified practitioners, published in January and based on interviews with six recently appointed high court judges and 29 highly qualified solicitors and barristers, revealed that the effect of the Circuit requirement was, for some practitioners, “a temporary deterrent to judicial application as children are growing up, while for others it represents a permanent barrier to application”.
Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, in his foreword, said the research reflected “misapprehensions” about judicial life on Circuit—in fact the system for Circuit visits was “extremely flexible” and some High Court judges did not visit a Circuit at all, he said. Although a “wholehearted defender” of the Circuit system, the Lord Chief Justice said that it is possible for arrangements to be made to accommodate judges whose circumstances mean that they cannot be away from home.
Professor Dame Hazel Genn, the report’s author, said: “Judges in post talked of the satisfaction offered by a judicial post, including the opportunity to be the decision-maker, the intellectual challenge, public service ethic, prestige and financial security.
“Practitioners not seeking a salaried judicial appointment said they were deterred by the workload and working conditions, salary, loss of autonomy, a preference for advocacy rather than decision making and a belief that their temperament is more suited to the Bar than the Bench.”
Commissioned by the Judicial Executive Board, the research is separate from current Judicial Appointments Commission research, which is due to complete in the spring. The report is available at www.judiciary.gov.uk/docs/report-sen-jud-appt.pdf.
The report, The attractiveness of senior judicial appointment to highly qualified practitioners, published in January and based on interviews with six recently appointed high court judges and 29 highly qualified solicitors and barristers, revealed that the effect of the Circuit requirement was, for some practitioners, “a temporary deterrent to judicial application as children are growing up, while for others it represents a permanent barrier to application”.
Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, in his foreword, said the research reflected “misapprehensions” about judicial life on Circuit—in fact the system for Circuit visits was “extremely flexible” and some High Court judges did not visit a Circuit at all, he said. Although a “wholehearted defender” of the Circuit system, the Lord Chief Justice said that it is possible for arrangements to be made to accommodate judges whose circumstances mean that they cannot be away from home.
Professor Dame Hazel Genn, the report’s author, said: “Judges in post talked of the satisfaction offered by a judicial post, including the opportunity to be the decision-maker, the intellectual challenge, public service ethic, prestige and financial security.
“Practitioners not seeking a salaried judicial appointment said they were deterred by the workload and working conditions, salary, loss of autonomy, a preference for advocacy rather than decision making and a belief that their temperament is more suited to the Bar than the Bench.”
Commissioned by the Judicial Executive Board, the research is separate from current Judicial Appointments Commission research, which is due to complete in the spring. The report is available at www.judiciary.gov.uk/docs/report-sen-jud-appt.pdf.
Salary and reluctance to make Circuit visits deter potential High Court judges, but the prestige of appointment is still a major draw.
Barbara Mills KC, the new Chair of the Bar, outlines some key themes and priorities
A family lawyer has won a £500 donation for her preferred charity, an education centre for women from disadvantaged backgrounds, thanks to drug, alcohol and DNA testing laboratory AlphaBiolabs’ Giving Back campaign
Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management highlights some of the ways you can cut your IHT bill
Rachel Davenport breaks down everything you need to know about AlphaBiolabs’ industry-leading laboratory testing services for legal matters
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management sets out the key steps to your dream property
A centre of excellence for youth justice, the Youth Justice Legal Centre provides specialist training, an advice line and a membership programme
What's it like being a legal trainee at the Crown Prosecution Service? Amy describes what drew her to the role, the skills required and a typical day in the life
Barbara Mills KC wants to raise the profile of the family Bar. She also wants to improve wellbeing and enhance equality, diversity and inclusion in the profession. She talks to Joshua Rozenberg KC (hon) about her plans for the year ahead
Are Birmingham’s Intensive Supervision Courts successfully turning women offenders’ lives around? Chloe Ashley talks to District Judge Michelle Smith
Professor Dominic Regan and Seán Jones KC identify good value bottles across the price spectrum – from festive fizz to reliable reds
Governments who play fast and loose with the law get into real trouble, says the new Attorney General. The Rt Hon Lord Hermer KC talks to Anthony Inglese CB about what drew this boy from Cardiff to the Bar, bringing the barrister ethos to the front bench, and how he will be measuring success
