Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data reveals the number of Black judges has remained “disappointingly stagnant”.
The diversity of the judiciary statistics for 2026 show Black judges make up only 1.6% of the judiciary, up slightly from the 1% recorded a year earlier.
They also reveal that in the last decade, the proportion of judges from global majority ethnicities (Black, Asian, mixed-ethnicity and other non-white heritage) increased from 6% to 13%.
Currently, 45% of all sitting judges are female.
Female judges and judges from the global major remain in “less senior judicial roles”, according to the Law Society of England and Wales’ analysis.
New questions added to the MoJ’s diversity questionnaire this year also asked legal professionals about their sexuality and education. The results reveal 7% of judges are lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Of those who declared their education, 66% of judges attended a UK state school.
Law Society of England and Wales vice president Brett Dixon said: “We welcome the publication of new data on socio-economic background and sexual orientation, which provides a fuller picture of diversity across the legal profession and judiciary.
“The figures also show that although some improvements have been made in some areas, significant progress is still required before the judiciary can truly represent the wider society.”
The MOJ’s statistician remarked that female representation remains positive and in line with the general population across the judicial career path. They also remarked on the “comparatively small increases” in representation for some groups “such as those from a Black background”.
Dixon added: “The representation of Black legal professionals on the bench has remained disappointingly stagnant for more than a decade, showing that efforts to make improvements are not having the desired impact. More work needs to be done. While there have been some positive changes relating to Asian and mixed-ethnicity candidates, effectively no progress has been made in relation to Black candidates.”
In 2025-26, global majority candidates accounted for 16% of the eligible pool of recruits for the legal professions surveyed and 18% of recommendations. Half (50%) of candidates in the eligible pool were female and accounted for 55% of recommendations in legal judicial selection.
“The proportion of female judges and judges from minority ethnic backgrounds remain concentrated in less senior judicial roles,” Dixon remarked.
The MoJ results also showed solicitors (44%) made up more applicants to the judiciary than barristers (37%), but constituted a smaller percentage of the recommendations (31% compared to 46%).
“Solicitors are continuing to achieve appointments as judges at disproportionately low rates compared with barristers. Our concern remains that until this percentage significantly increases, we will struggle to persuade our members that entry to the judiciary is a level playing field or that their skills are understood and valued,” Dixon said.
The MoJ recently announced a new initiative to recruit more judges from diverse backgrounds by creating a new Judicial and Legal Diversity Board.
