In 2011 only 5.1% of judges were Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and just 22.3% were women. The Committee stresses that diversity incorporates a number of other elements including disability, sexual orientation, legal profession and social background and rejected any notion that those from under-represented groups are less worthy candidates or that a more diverse judiciary would undermine the quality of our judges. A number of recommendations are made to improve diversity in the judiciary, including: the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice should have a duty to encourage diversity; support of the application of section 159 of the Equalities Act; more opportunities for flexible working and the taking of career breaks; encouraging applications from lawyers other than barristers; and while the Committee does not currently support the introduction of targets for the number of BAME and women judges, it says this should be looked at again in five years. The importance of the independence of the judiciary is also stressed, opting for the Lord Chancellor’s power to reject nominations for posts below the High Court to be transferred to the Lord Chief Justice. In order to ensure judges continue to have appropriate independence from Parliament the Committee suggests that a system of formal appraisals should be introduced for judges. The Committee also recommends that the retirement age for the most senior judges should be raised to 75 to prevent a loss of talent in the highest courts and allow more time for women and others who have not followed a traditional career path to reach the highest levels of the judiciary