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UK supreme court to offer paid internships in diversity drive 

ASPIRING lawyers and judges from underrepresented communities in the UK can apply for paid internships in the Supreme Court, it announced on Thursday (27).

The top court has collaborated with charity Bridging the Bar and eight candidates will be offered a five-day placement.

CEO of the supreme court, Vicky Fox, said, “The court recognises that it has a leadership role to play to support increasing diversity of the judiciary and it is our intention that this programme will support the progression of underrepresented groups into the legal profession and ultimately into judicial roles.


Over the years, the UK judiciary has been criticised for its lack of diversity. White males dominate the senior level of judiciary; 12 Supreme Court justices are white and two are women.

However, the proportion of judges who are women is increasing gradually although women and BAME remain under-represented in judicial roles.

A 2020 report of diversity in the judiciary showed that 32 per cent of all judges in courts were women and 26 per cent of senior roles in the high courts and above were represented by women.

The number of judges who identify as Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) has also increased in recent years but remains lower for court appointments compared to tribunals, particularly at senior levels.

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Former Birmingham doctor charged with multiple sexual offences against patients

PROSECUTORS on Friday announced charges against a former doctor for multiple alleged sexual offences involving patients, including offences against children.

The Crown Prosecution Service said Nathaniel Spencer, 38, from Birmingham, has been charged with 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child, three counts of assault of a child by penetration, and one count of attempting to assault by penetration. The case relates to 38 patients between 2017 and 2021.

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