Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the status of his Department's review into widening judicial eligibility criteria to permit CILEX Lawyers to apply for all judicial posts is as of 16 December 2021.

The Ministry of Justice’s review of barriers to certain legal professionals, including CILEX lawyers applying to a wider range of judicial offices, is ongoing.

In the Judicial Diversity Forum’s (JDF) update to its plan and priorities for 2021/22, published on 20 December 2021 (https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/JDF-2022-action-plan.pdf), the MoJ committed to review, by July 2022, the process and barriers to appointment to Judicial Office for all parts of the legal profession to ensure we broaden the pool of talent by:

• Exploring fuller opportunities for Solicitors and Chartered Legal Executives to gain court experience, including advocacy, to support preparation for the judiciary;
• Working with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, and other legal professional bodies, to explore the necessary steps for increasing CILEX’s eligibility for a wider range of judicial roles.