London Court Parking Incident Underscores Persistent Racial Bias in the Bar

A black barrister, Stephen Akinsanya—an OBE-honoured advocate for youth-knife-crime prevention—was stopped by a security guard from using a court car park about four weeks ago. When he asked for clarification, the guard became “completely embarrassed” and eventually raised the barrier to let him park. Akinsanya recounted the episode on a Criminal Bar Association podcast, noting it echoed a similar incident he experienced when first qualifying in 1993.

The Guardian

Racial prejudice in English courts has surfaced repeatedly. In 2020 the courts service issued apologies after two black barristers were mistaken for defendants multiple times in a single day. Akinsanya highlighted that, despite a growing number of lawyers from diverse backgrounds, the perception that black individuals are more likely to be defendants than counsel persists. Keir Monteith KC, who co-authored a 2022 report describing the judiciary as institutionally racist, warned that “secret soundings”—confidential assessments by sitting judges—undermine transparent merit-based appointments.

The Guardian

Judicial diversity statistics published last month show the share of black judges has risen only marginally over a decade, from 1.4 % to 1.6 %, compared with 4 % of the England and Wales population. There are 79 black judges (43 in courts, the remainder in tribunals) out of 5,337 total judges, and only one senior black court judge, Mrs Justice Margaret Obi.

The Guardian

Akinsanya called for measurable targets and accountability mechanisms, stating that capable colleagues with decades of experience have been turned down for judicial roles. Laurie Anne-Power KC argued that an oversight board is needed to compare outcomes for white and black applicants and to identify systemic discrepancies. Monteith reiterated that merit should be assessed solely on interview performance, not on undisclosed peer evaluations.

The Guardian

• “The only way we can find out what is going wrong in that assessment phase of the process is to have a board that oversees every single aspect. Carry out comparisons. For example, look at the difference between applications for white applicants and black applicants – is there a difference? If there is not a difference, why is there a difference in outcome?” — Akinsanya. Keir Monteith, who co-authored a 2022 report that

The Guardian

• “I could speak of colleagues of mine who are 40-plus years in [the profession] who are more than capable, more than able, [who] I know have applied and have been turned down.” — Mrs Justice Margaret Obi. Akinsanya

The Guardian