Ian Ashley-Smith has made legal history by being appointed the first lLEX judge.
Ian Ashley-Smith has made legal history by being appointed the first lLEX judge.
ILEX fellows have been eligible to apply for selected judicial roles since November 2008, as a result of changes brought about by the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.
David McGrady, president of Ilex says: “We feel confident that this appointment is the first of many for our lawyer members. Our membership is drawn from all areas of society — 75% of legal executive lawyers are women and more than 13% are of black or minority ethnicity. As such, legal executive lawyers are representative of today’s society and are well placed to help build public confidence in the judicial system.”
Baroness Usha Prashar, who chairs the Judicial Appointments Commission, said she welcomed applications from good candidates whatever their legal background. “We have a statutory duty to encourage diversity in the range of candidates available for selection and to select candidates solely on merit,” she added.
Mr Ashley-Smtih has been appointed as a deputy district judge on the South Eastern Circuit.
