Privately educated, ‘Oxbridge’ graduates have a ‘vice-like grip’ on leading roles in the UK, including senior judiciary roles.

A new report from charity the Sutton Trust report has found those who were privately educated and/or graduates of Oxford or Cambridge universities make up the majority of senior judiciary roles in UK courts.

Senior judges were among the professions with the highest private school attendance; the report found 62% of senior judges had attended private school. This represents only a small improvement from 2019, when this figure was 65%. It found 75%, of senior judges were recorded as being Oxbridge graduates, an increase from 71% in 2019.

Nick Harrison, CEO of the Sutton Trust, commented that the report demonstrated the ‘vice-like grip that those from “privileged” backgrounds continued to hold in top jobs in the UK.’

Katy Hampshire, director of programmes at the Sutton Trust, said: ‘It’s disappointing to see that the senior judiciary remains one of the most elitist professions in Britain, despite efforts to widen access to the legal sector in recent years. Senior judges wield significant power, so it’s crucial that they are more representative of the people that they serve.