Judicial Attitude Survey: Media release

Reports

Judges surveyed about their jobs

In 2014, a questionnaire was sent to all salaried judges about their jobs and working conditions, to assist the Senior Salaries Review Body (the SSRB). The SSRB makes recommendations to the Government annually on pay for senior positions in public service including judges, the military and the Civil Service including comparisons across the public and private sector. It considered a questionnaire a sensible way to gather evidence, as many other professions do.

The SSRB asked for a similar exercise in 2016, so a second survey was completed on behalf of the judiciary by University College London (UCL). It is published today on the Judiciary’s website (external lik). There is an executive summary [pages 3-5].

The Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas, and the Senior President of Tribunals Sir Ernest Ryder said:

“The quality of the judiciary underpins the rule of law and the continued success of our legal services market nationally and internationally. We are therefore extremely grateful to those who took part in the survey, which assists the SSRB in making evidence-based recommendations to Government on judicial pay. In the light of the substantially greater remuneration available to the most able practitioners in private practice, these matters are vital to our ability to attract candidates and retain judges of the highest calibre.”

The Lord Chief Justice and the Senior President of Tribunals are not available for interview.

For further information contact the Judicial Press Office, 020 7073 4852. 

Notes to Editors

    1. The Judicial Attitude Survey was anonymous and voluntary, conducted online by an independent research centre, the Judicial Institute of University College London (UCL JI). The survey was designed, administered and analysed by Professor Cheryl Thomas, Co-Director of the UCL JI. A Working Group, which included judicial representatives, assisted Professor Thomas in the design of the questionnaire. The survey had a very high response rate, with 99 per cent of all salaried judges in the England and Wales courts and UK non-devolved tribunals taking part. The UCL Judicial Institute is the UK’s only centre of excellence devoted to research, teaching and policy engagement about the judiciary. For further information contact ruth.howells@ucl.ac.uk
    2. Fee-paid judges (lawyers who sit for a minimum of 15 days a year) were not surveyed.
    3. Results for Scotland and Northern Ireland were sent separately to the SSRB. The Judiciary of Scotland survey will be published in due course. For queries contact ECutting@scotcourts.pnn.gov.uk
    4. Survey results for the Northern Ireland Judiciary are available here. For queries please Alison Houston, Communications Manager for the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland’s Office by email to Alison.Houston@courtsni.gov.uk  or by telephone on 028 9072 5921
    5. There was a four year freeze in judicial pay from April 2009 to April 2013, and a three-year period of increases of 1% per annum from April 2013 to April 2016.
    6. The 2014 Judicial Attitude Survey was published in February 2015 https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/judicial-attitude-survey/

ENDS