4. What discussions has the Counsel General held regarding increasing diversity in representations to the Supreme Court? (OAQ51152)

I have made representations to the Supreme Court about improving the diversity of the judiciary. I welcome very much the recent appointments of Lady Hale as president of the Supreme Court, the first ever female Supreme Court president, and Lady Black to the Supreme Court, and, as I’ve previously indicated, I also welcome the appointment of Lord Lloyd-Jones as the first Welsh Supreme Court judge.

Llywydd, the Counsel General has anticipated my question—absolutely fantastic. What steps, though, can the Welsh Government take to further enhance gender and ethnic diversity, both in the Supreme Court and in the in the sphere of legal jurisdiction as a whole?

Well, the first thing is the Supreme Court itself has, since 2015, recognised very much the issue of diversity. And the current President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale, has also said on a number of occasions that the courts have to be representative of society in general, and that they were not, and that it was important that that increasing diversity took place, in terms of gender, and in terms of race, and in terms of the background of those in the judiciary, and, really, from the lower levels of the judiciary to the most senior levels at the Supreme Court itself.

These are representations that Welsh Government itself has made, in terms of any consultations and meetings with the Judicial Appointments Commission. There are a further three appointments to the Supreme Court to take place next year, as a number of lord justices retire, and we would hope that there will be further increase in diversity in all those areas to the Supreme Court. But let us not also forget that that’s a diversity that has to occur at the lower echelons of the judiciary, at all levels. So, that is something on which we’ve made those representations. It’s something that we very much support, and I’m pleased to say that it is something that is happening. It is beginning to happen. I think a decade ago we might have thought some of these measures and steps would have been inconceivable. So, there is a significant change under way at this moment in time and we are supporting that.