Annual Update: Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

18 September 2023

Today, the Court releases its second annual update on the Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. The strategy, published in May 2021, aims to support the progress of underrepresented groups into judicial roles. The five objectives set out in the strategy are:

1. To support and build an inclusive and respectful culture and working environment at the Court, where all justices support the strategy and lead the way by:

being open to an inclusive environment, valuing differences of approach and opinion
improving their knowledge of diverse groups' experience of the Court, and taking action where issues are identified
creating an awareness of bias and actively working to minimise its impact

2. To support the progression of underrepresented groups into judicial roles across the judiciary by:

Justices publicly promoting greater diversity within the judiciary
supporting and working in partnership on initiatives led by other parts of the judiciary
listening and learning from groups underrepresented in the judiciary

3. To support an increase in the number of well-qualified applicants from underrepresented groups for the role of justice at the UK Supreme Court by:

building a greater understanding of the role of justices
introducing mentoring, events and other opportunities for underrepresented groups

4. To proactively communicate the Court's support for diversity and inclusion to the legal profession and the public through:

outreach and education work
supporting and working in partnership with organisations working in this area
highlighting the value of diverse perspectives on our website and in our communications

5. To fulfil our obligations under the Equality Act 2010: As part of the Court's obligations under the Equality Act (2010) and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), the Court is required to demonstrate, in the exercise of its functions, due regard to the need to:

eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other acts prohibited by the Equality Act (2010)
advance equality of opportunity between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

The full strategy is available to read here: Judicial diversity and inclusion strategy 2021-2025

Some highlights of the year have been the appointment of Lord Leggatt to lead on Judicial D&I work, the second year of the Court's Bridging the Bar internship, the roll out of Hidden Disabilities training for staff, and the Court's administration becoming a signatory of the Black Talent Charter.

To read more about the work which has been undertaken over the past year, you can read the full update here:Annual Update 2023 – Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy