THE UK's most senior woman judge says she is disappointed more women have not reached the highest echelons of the judiciary.
Lady Hale, deputy president of the Supreme Court - and the only female Supreme Court justice - said she looked forward to a "more diverse future".
She was speaking at the Supreme Court in London - the highest court in the UK - at the start of the legal year. Lady Hale said: "I am disappointed that in the 10 years since I was appointed not one among the 13 subsequent appointments to this court has been a woman."
She added: "I do not think I am alone in thinking diversity of many kinds on the bench is important for a great many reasons, but most of all because in a democracy which values everyone equally and not just the privileged and the powerful, it's important their rights and responsibilities should be decided by a judiciary which is more reflective of the society as a whole."
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