News - Glass ceiling cracked but not yet shattered - top judge

The UK’s highest-ranking ethnic minority judge has spoken out about breaking the barriers surrounding diversity within the legal profession.

The Honourable Mrs Justice Dobbs DBE was speaking at a BLD event and said: “We know that attitudes are changing, but not fast enough. We know that the glass ceiling is being cracked but is not yet shattered. In order to break those barriers – you, me all of us have to show that we are very good at what we do – in fact we have to be better than most in order to open the minds of others.”

The groundbreaking event, “An Audience with Mrs Justice Dobbs”, was presented by BLD – free to its members and invitees - and it was hosted by international law firm Wragge & Co at its Birmingham office.

Mrs Justice Dobbs covered three main topics in her speech – preparing for the future and breaking barriers; supporting and increasing diversity and diversity and the judiciary. During the question and answer session which followed, she revealed that two more BME High Court judges may be appointed soon. 

Read the full summary of the speech by the Honourable Mrs Justice Dobbs