A trade union that has set up a branch for its judicial members has asked to join a council of representative bodies which informs the lord chief justice on matters of concern to judges. Its request appears to have been declined.

The Gazette revealed in April that the GMB was setting up a specific branch for dozens of members who sit as judges. Since then, the union has written to the lord chief justice’s office requesting a meeting to discuss its members’ interests, such as judicial welfare, equal treatment, diversity, and health and safety issues.

The union also asked to join the Judges’ Council, whose members include representatives from all areas of the judiciary, including the circuit and district benches, magistrates and tribunals. GMB believes it should be seen and treated the same as other representative bodies, such as the Association of District Judges and Council of Circuit Judges.

GMB flags

GMB tells lord chief justice its branch for judicial members should be treated the same as other representative groups

Source: Alamy

Both requests were refused. The GMB said it was told that the lord chief did not think it was appropriate to meet the union and that the judiciary did not intend to change the current membership of the Judges’ Council.

The Gazette asked the Judicial Office why the lord chief would not meet the GMB and why its request for a judicial representative on the Judges’ Council was refused. A spokesperson for the Judicial Office said: ‘Trade union membership is a matter for individual judges.’

The Judges’ Council meets three times a year. According to the judiciary’s website, its primary function ‘is to be a body broadly representative of the judiciary as a whole’ that informs and advises the lord chief on matters when requested.

The council has statutory responsibility for appointing three members of the Judicial Appointments Commission and is consulted to obtain a ‘wide perspective’ on matters that concern more than one discrete judicial grouping. The council also considers and conveys views, ideas or concerns of the ‘wider judicial family’ and advises the lord chief on policy and other matters when requested.