A new report published by the Fawcett Society’s Commission on Women and the Criminal Justice System has found widespread discrimination in practices and attitudes towards women across the criminal justice system. The Fawcett Society , founded in 1866, is the UK’s leading campaign for equality between women and men. Its Commission on Women and the Criminal Justice System was launched in 2002 to look at the way women are treated as victims, offenders and practitioners in the system.

Despite much lauding by the legal profession of its pursuit of equality, the report finds that there has been no consistent progress over five years in promoting women into senior positions and women victims and offenders continue to be marginalised in a justice system designed for men. The report noted that only 15.9 percent of partners in the UK’s ten largest law firms were women in 2008, that there were only 42 female compared to 479 male silks and the number of female applicants for Queen’s Counsel was at its lowest level for ten years. Not exactly a shining assessment then.

Sharon Smee, Justice Policy Officer at the Fawcett Society stated: “Women need justice and justice needs women. A greater representation of women, particularly in high level positions is crucial to make the criminal justice system responsive to women’s reality. There is no excuse. Other countries are drawing on the skills of women. It is time our justice system stepped up.”