England: Judicial Appointments Commission is “rotten to the core”.
The judges are seeking an investigation into the “discriminatory, unfair and illegal” system of appointment of judicial officers that alleges bullying and racism, reports The Times.
The Justice Support Network (JSN), which promotes diversity at the bank, sends a request to the today Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Commission to describe “serious, serial and system-related” errors in the appointment system.
The 44-page complaint is supported by the GMB Union and a number of minority lawyers groups. It is claimed that the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is “institutionally discriminatory” and “rotten to the core”.
The JAC was founded in 2006 to end the previous “tap on the shoulder” system and to increase the transparency of the appointment of judges. Activists, however, argue that the old boys network is “alive, healthy and thriving”.
The query sent by the JSN alleges that the appointment process “is compromised by a comprehensive and formalized process of secret explorations” that discriminates against women and ethnic minorities.
It is also alleged that secret reports are “routinely obtained” from judges.
“This is more than just cover for actively racist, sexist or other bigoted people,” the network said.
“It is a pact of the devil to allow all kinds of prejudice and resentment to be met in order to maintain the ideal legal profile as much as possible: white, privately educated, Oxbridge, male, with little demonstrable emotional intelligence.”
Kaly Kaul QC, a Crown Court judge and founder of JSN, said, “We are not against the JAC; We are critical friends. “
She added: “We hope the referral will be welcomed by the Supreme Justice and the JAC, who are keen to address concerns and facilitate reforms if necessary.”
A spokeswoman for the appointments commission said the JAC’s processes were “regularly independently assessed and found to be fair, objective and in line with best practice”.
A spokeswoman for the judiciary said: “Every case of bullying, discrimination or harassment is a serious problem, especially for the senior judiciary, who have said they will ensure that they thoroughly investigate all allegations.”
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