At least four judges resign from men-only Garrick Club after backlash

At least four senior judges have resigned from the men-only Garrick Club, the Judicial Office has said, as men in the legal profession come under increasing pressure over their close association with an organisation that has repeatedly blocked attempts to allow women to join.

The lady chief justice, Sue Carr, who is the president of the courts and head of the judiciary of England and Wales, said the revelations about judges’ membership of the Garrick underlined the need to continue work to improve inclusivity in the profession.

In an internal message sent to judges, she wrote: “You will have seen the recent media coverage relating to judicial members of the Garrick Club.

And I certainly hope by the end of this week that all of the judges have resigned from the Garrick Club,” she told Sky News on Monday morning.

A second open letter was circulating last night among members of the legal profession, highlighting a belief that membership of the Garrick, with its current rules, was inconsistent with the courts and tribunals judiciary’s guide to judicial conduct.

Helena Kennedy, a barrister and Labour member of the House of Lords, has argued for a US-style system that would bar judges from joining the Garrick.