Dame Linda Dobbs, the first and so far only BME to be appointed to the senior judiciary, has retired from the High Court. She was appointed to the High Court in 2004 and was the Senior Liaison Judge for Diversity and was involved in many initiatives to raise awareness about the judiciary and to encourage a wider pool of applicants. the time of her appointment, Linda Dobbs said:
“It is a great honour to have been invited by the Lord Chancellor 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.”
Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Her retirement means that there are now NO BME women in the senior judiciary. In June 2013 it was announced that she would chair an investigation in to the actions of former BBC presenter Stuart Hall.
Read a biography of Linda Dobbs