Concerns about judicial security are at an 'all-time high', the lady chief justice told journalists today - while also condemning as 'unacceptable' the prime minister and leader of the opposition's comments about a court ruling last week.
At her annual press conference, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill also spoke of a renewed focus on judicial diversity and recruiting more black judges to the bench.
Asked about security, she added: ‘Judicial security has been an issue ever since I took up office. It really came to a very dramatic and concerning head with the very serious physical attack on [His Honour Judge] Patrick Perusko at Milton Keynes where the assailant was convicted in due course, but it was a very serious attack.
‘The silver lining of a very dark cloud was it made everybody really sit up and make sure we were doing everything with HMCTS to ensure that their responsibility to preserve the safety of judges in courts and tribunals was being met.
‘Since the assault on Patrick, we have seen a rolling national programme of improvements to courts. It is sometimes as simple as moving a witness box from left to right so the witness isn’t blocking the judge’s exit, making sure the wooden barrier is working. We have much more regular tests of panic alarms, we have blind tests, we have a new potentially violent person protocol, we have better engagement with local police stations.
‘All of that I am really engaging with and trying to get judges to realise many of them do have a police station next door, make contact with the chief constable, make contact with your local police officer so it all comes to life a bit.’
Baroness Carr added that she is trying to make judges understand that, despite their desire to ‘just get on with it’ that ‘against their better nature, they have got to be safe and have to make a fuss if they need to because it is so important.’
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Speaking of online views and commentary, she said: ‘I have become increasingly concerned in particular about online abuse and I have started to look abroad, for example I have been looking at Canada where I believe they have a dedicated police unit devoted to judicial security.
‘I think at the moment we are potentially behind the curve so I have set up a new security taskforce headed by Mrs Justice Yip to gather together not only the judges she wants but also to draw on expert, I hope if necessary external advice, to work out what we can do because I am sure there is so much more that we could be doing to look after our judges.’
Baroness Carr said she was ‘deeply troubled’ by an exchange between leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch and the prime minister last week over an immigration judge's ruling. She said: ‘It started with the opposition’s suggestion the decision in a certain case was wrong and the prime minister’s response to that. Both the question and the answer were unacceptable,' she said.
‘It is for government to visibly respect and protect the independence of the judiciary. Where parties, including the government, disagree with the judgment they should do so through the appellate process. Of course, MPs, just like the governing body, have a duty to respect the rule of law. I have taken this up as you would imagine and expect. I have written to the prime minister and lord chancellor.’
Speaking on diversity on the bench and in particular the lack of black judges, Lady Carr said she was keeping it as a ‘particular focus’ for the next year. She added: ‘You know the rate remains stubborn at around 1% of black judges which is extremely disappointing. I think together with Lady Justice Whipple who is a fantastic energetic new lead for D&I we need to do some more listening.
‘I think she is thinking of setting up a black judges’ network. We are engaging with the Black Crown Prosecution Solicitors Association. We are reaching out through our current outreach programme where we help black and also disabled applicants, who are my second area of focus over the last 12 months, to improve the position but it is work in hand.
'Nobody seems to have a golden key to unlock the problem at the moment but we will not give up and we will persist in our efforts.'
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