Many people now perversely believe the judicial and QC appointment systems discriminate against white men, according to a leading silk who is about to become a High Court judge.

Interviewed by the Gazette, Rabinder Singh QC stressed that progress has been made over recent years to improve the diversity of the legal profession and the judiciary, but more needs to be done. But he expressed irritation that so much attention is paid to his Sikh background compared with his achievements in the law.

Singh is a leading public and human rights law barrister and one of the founders of London’s Matrix chambers. He will be sworn in as a judge in the Queen’s Bench division of the High Court next month.

He added: ‘I know lots of white men who have benefited from the reforms in the last decade, both for QC applications and for judicial appointments, because the systems that no longer depend on secret soundings or a tap on the shoulder are fairer,’ he said. ‘Many people actually think it is white men who are discriminated against now.’

He said there is ‘a constant sense of grievance’ held by those who feel the system is loaded in favour of ethnic minorities and women, when this not borne out by statistics.

See the full interview online.