Britain among worst in Europe for women judges

Only Azerbaijan has a lower proportion of women judges than Britain, an analysis of European legal systems has found.

The Council of Europe's study found that just 23 per cent of professional judges in England and Wales – and 21 per cent in Scotland – are female. The only one of the 46 other countries examined in the report to fare worse was Azerbaijan where women make up just nine per cent of judges. The European average is 52 per cent male to 48 per cent female.

Today's report by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice, comparing member states, reveals that salaries for Britain's top legal practitioners are among the most generous in Europe. Gross annual salaries for Supreme Court judges or their equivalent averaged at £195,191 in England and Wales and £184, 722 in Scotland.