I read ‘Judicial fast-track would boost diversity’ with disquiet. It seems this proposal from Mr Justice Hickinbottom is symptomatic of the various questionable, not to say flaky, ‘reform’ initiatives launched by members of the judiciary.
While many of the judges we experience are still excellent, practitioners with a court-based practice will have noticed that an increasing proportion are not. They are appointed via a system that was politicised by Lord Irvine when he was Tony Blair’s lord chancellor to ensure that no one with ‘reactionary views’ could be appointed or promoted.
The focus of any public service ought to be on delivering a service to the public, rather than tick-boxing ‘diversity’ quotas in a fashion reminiscent of the appointment system in the Soviet Union.
Robin Tilbrook, solicitor, chairman of the English Democrats, Ongar
