When considering the importance of the legal profession and judiciary, it is helpful to remember the human threads from which the fabric of law is woven. The more varied and rich the social mix of clever lawyers and judges, the less likely it is that a narrow and socially unwarranted opinion will end up as part of the law.

* Four of the nine judges of the Supreme Court of Canada are female

* Three of the 11 judges of the Constitutional Court of South Africa are female

* Eight of the 16 Justices of the Supreme Court of Sweden are female

* About 50 per cent of all judges in France are female

* About 50 per cent of all judges in The Netherlands are female

* Of the 25 Justices of the Supreme Court of India, none is female

* The Italian appeal court appoints panels from a pool of judges, 400 of whom are male and ten female.

* Of 154 federal judges and magistrates in Australia, 40 are female

Across the world women now occupy many leading judicial positions. They include:

* The Rt. Hon. Chief Justice of Canada, Beverley McLachlin, P.C.

* The Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn Warren, AC, of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia

* The Right Honourable Dame Sian Elias, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand

* The Hon Mrs Justice Le Pichon of the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong

* The Honourable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

* In 1960 African-Americans constituted 1.3 per cent of the legal profession of the United States. Today the proportion is more than 6 per cent.

* African, Asian, and Hispanic-Americans together constitute about 30 per cent of the population but only about 10 per cent of the judiciary.

Explore Law

• Corporate Law

• Public Law

• Columnists

• Law Panel

• Student Law

• Law Reports

Times Recommends

• Linklaters hits record on 15% revenue rise
• Guy Hands sues Baker Tilly over tax advice
• Vodafone defeats Customs in tax fight