Dr. David Kenny:

While this offers great hope, there is also a problem with it. The significant number of women going to the Bar and the fact that our sister profession has more than a 50% female membership are positives. However, there are also significant negatives, at least in the way in which we currently appoint senior judges. To become a judge in the superior courts one would do well to be a senior counsel. Last year fewer than 30% of those called to the inner Bar were women of that cohort and the figure has never really risen above that level. While the position will change gradually, that is roughly the current position and there is no indication that it will change any time soon. The Circuit Court has come close to achieving gender parity, but there is no indication that the High Court, the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court will reach that level if judges continue to be appointed in the current manner.