Tonya McCormac, CEO of the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission comments:-
“This International Women’s Day, we welcome the call to ‘Accelerate Action’ for gender equality across all professions and in the judiciary.
We celebrate those women who contribute to the justice system in Northern Ireland. Whether that be as a judicial office holder or as an aspirant to judicial office, their participation is a vital step in forging a more inclusive world for women.
In 2024, NIJAC was awarded the highly regarded Diversity Mark Accreditation and we are continuing to implement measures in 2025 to make an impact on equality, diversity and inclusion.
The Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission is proud that its’ own work has contributed to the attainment of reflective representation of women in the judiciary in Northern Ireland. Women represent 52.3 percent of the judiciary as of March 2025, which is reflective of the wider community in Northern Ireland [in 2024, the percentage was 51.5 percent].
Despite this achievement of a reflective female majority, there is still the need to encourage women to aspire to and apply for senior judicial office.
NIJAC will continue to work with our partners in government and relevant representative bodies to ensure those aspiring women feel a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment to grow their careers and strive for the most senior of positions."