Over half of judges say they now fear for their safety

Tens of thousands of pounds have been spent on improving the security of top judges’ homes due to fears for their safety, a freedom of information request has revealed.

Hostility toward the judiciary has grown online, in public and in right wing media outlets (one headline labelled three judges who ruled on the right of parliament to trigger Britain’s exit from the European Union “enemies of the people”). The Ministry of Justice has since confirmed that public money has been spent on ensuring judges’ safety at home, as well as training on how to protect themselves from abuse on social media.

The BBC also reports that a survey of judges found that 51% of respondents feared for their safety while in court –and that one family and civil court judge reported that death threats and threats of violence have become common. Cuts to legal aid have also not helped the situation – too often, judges are alone with accusers and defendants who are representing themselves, with no other lawyers or security personnel present.

Professor Cheryl Thomas, co-director of the UCL Judicial Institute, said: “We have more and more people who need to go to court to resolve difficult, stressful, emotional family breakdown issues, who may not have access to lawyers to represent them, [so] you have warring parties fighting it out in court – and that places much greater security concerns on judges in court."