The Ministry of Justice’s latest judicial diversity figures show that solicitors continue to secure judicial appointments at a lower rate than barristers, despite making up the larger share of applicants.
Across legal selection exercises completed in 2025–26, solicitors represented 44% of applicants, compared with 37% for barristers. Solicitors accounted for only 31% of recommendations, while barristers made up 46%. The Ministry of Justice identified a disparity in outcomes between the two professional groups, with solicitor candidates less likely to progress from application to recommendation.
Practitioner consequence is clearest for senior solicitors considering a judicial career. Encouraging more applications will not resolve the imbalance unless the Judicial Appointments Commission and the legal profession can establish why solicitors are less likely to progress through selection exercises.
Law firm management may also need to examine whether promotion structures, advocacy opportunities and support for fee-paid judicial work give suitable candidates enough experience to compete for court appointments.
Professional background remains unevenly distributed across the judiciary. Non-barristers, most of whom are solicitors, hold 30% of court judicial posts and 60% of tribunal posts. The contrast shows that solicitors are far better represented in tribunals than in the courts, particularly at senior levels.
The wider statistics record gradual progress in some areas while showing limited movement in others. Women now account for 45% of all judges and ethnic minority judges account for 13%. Black representation has changed little over the past decade, a position already identified as a priority under the Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2026–2030.
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr launched that strategy in January 2026 and established the Judicial and Legal Diversity Board with the Lord Chancellor in May.
The board is co-chaired by Baroness Carr and David Lammy and brings together the Judicial Appointments Commission, Law Society, Bar Council, CILEx, Legal Services Board, Judicial Office and Ministry of Justice. Its purpose is to coordinate work across the judiciary and legal professions rather than leave individual organisations to address appointment barriers separately.
The disparity could influence how firms support lawyers seeking part-time judicial roles alongside practice. Senior solicitors often need employer backing to take on fee-paid appointments, build advocacy experience and reduce client commitments. Persistently lower recommendation rates may make firms less willing to invest in candidates unless the route to appointment becomes clearer.
The Judicial Appointments Commission’s Targeted Outreach Programme had received more than 1,190 applications by December 2025. Of those applicants, 666 had been accepted for support from a former commissioner or judicial guide, and solicitors represented 67% of accepted candidates.
The next annual figures will show whether that support is translating into stronger recommendation rates for solicitor candidates. The Ministry of Justice, Judicial Appointments Commission and Judicial and Legal Diversity Board will face pressure to demonstrate measurable progress when the 2027 statistics are published.