Supreme Court will open up and diversify when current judges retire, says Neuberger

The president of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, has announced measures to diversify the roster of Supreme Court judges as upcoming retirements create vacancies over the next couple of years.

Neuberger and his colleague, Lord Clarke, have both confirmed that they will retire in 2017, while three more judges – Lord Hughes, Lord Mance and Lord Sumption – will reach retirement age in 2018. Neuberger has therefore moved to ensure that a diverse range of candidates will be considered to fill the posts – only one Supreme Court judge, Lady Hale, is a woman, while the rest are all white men.

As the Law Gazette reports, the measures will include opening the possibility of judges working flexibly or part time, as well as a scheme to familiarise those thinking of applying with the potentially daunting application process. There will also be outreach exercises and an ‘equal merit’ test to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds – with information about how equal merit provision will be implemented to be published in due course.

Addressing an audience at Middle Temple, Neuberger said:  “I would expect wide advertising in print and online when the vacancies become available, with a redesigned advert stressing the fact that the Commission encourages applications from the widest variety of those eligible.”