First black high court judge appointed

The
Lord Chancellor has appointed the first High Court judge to come from an ethnic
minority background.

The
Department for Constitutional Affairs yesterday announced that Linda Dobbs, QC
– a specialist in criminal law and former chairman of the Criminal Bar
Association – would be taking up the post next month.

Dobbs
said it was a great honour to be invited to become a High Court judge.

“Whilst
this appointment might be seen as casting me into the role of standard bearer,
I am simply a practitioner following a career path. I am confident,
nevertheless, that I am the first of many to come," she said

There
are currently only nine black circuit judges among the 623 in England
and Wales
– or 1.4 per cent.

By Daniel Thomas  

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