Cygnet Law welcomes new female judge statistics

Cygnet Law has welcomed newly published figures highlighting a growth in the number of females in judicial roles, especially in the North East.

The figures published by the Office of National Statistics show that the North East – with 30% female judges – has a greater proportion of female judges than any other region in England and Wales, with the exception of the South East.

During the 12 months to April, the percentage of female judges in courts increased from 25% to 28%, whilst in tribunal courts the number of women judges remained consistent at 45percent.

Women now make up 51% of court judges aged under 40, which when compared to the 16% of judges aged over 60, suggests that the overall proportion of female judges will continue to increase over the coming years.

Stacey Phoenix, a Solicitor at Cygnet Law, said: “Law is a sector that has traditionally been male dominated, and it’s inspiring to see so many women working to tackle that inequality, especially here in the North East.

“At Cygnet Law, our team is mostly made up of younger female legal professionals, so it is fantastic to see that we are representative of the sector as a whole. Of our eight solicitors, five are female and of our six legal assistants, four are women, but all of them, no matter their gender, are equally as capable of doing their job to highest standards.

“Whilst the number of women in judicial roles is still too low, it’s great to see that the gender balance is beginning to right itself at such a high level, and I’m particularly pleased to see more women under 40 coming up through the ranks.

“It’s important that our legal system reflects the population over which it presides, and having a gender balance is a positive step towards achieving that. In Teesside we have a high standing of female judges within the judiciary, such as our Designated Family Judge, Her Honour Judge Matthews QC, who is living proof how far female judges can go.

“These latest statistics demonstrate the shape of the legal future and it’s important that we continue to make the legal profession a positive career prospect for young women.”