Sir John Dyson has been appointed as the twelfth member of the Supreme Court. While Sir John is a first-rate judge and is undoubtedly well-qualified to join the Supreme Court, it is deeply disappointing to see that the opportunity has been missed to appoint a second woman to the Court.
Mary Arden was, apparently, short-listed for the post and would have equally been an excellent choice. Given the fact that Brenda Hale remains the only woman appointed to the UK’s top court, having occupied this position since 2003, the need to improve the gender balance of the bench should have been a significant factor in deciding between the very strong candidates on the short-list.