Is Mr Justice Warby the next Zoella?
Nine judges have taken to YouTube video-making in a push to make the judiciary more accessible.
The diverse bunch of judges, all of whom sit or have sat on the High Court bench, have shed some light on one of the country’s most elite professions in videos such as ‘Preconceptions before joining the High Court bench’ and ‘Why apply to be a High Court judge?’
A spokesperson for the judiciary told Legal Cheek the videos were shot with an iPhone at “no cost and minimal disruption to the judges”.
YouTubing has become a money-making business in recent years, with big stars like Zoe Sugg (Zoella) and boyfriend Alfie Deyes (PointlessBlog) reportedly enjoying a joint net worth of £6 million. But it’s pretty safe to say the judges taking part aren’t after money or fame, but greater recruitment into the High Court.
The High Court has been struggling to fill its benches in the past few years, the House of Lords Constitution Committee recently citing pay, a poor relationship with government, shoddy working conditions and problems with pensions as potential reasons for this.
Given their recruitment drive purpose, it’s unsurprising the videos are very pro-joining the judiciary. Highlights include Mrs Justice Carr gushing over the court’s “very well-resourced library” (pictured below) and Mr Justice Warby’s contention the judges are “very friendly and supportive towards one another”.
Another theme that comes through is the diversity of work done day to day and the diversity of staff filling the benches. Lord Justice Singh, who was recently promoted to the Court of Appeal, said:
“Looking back on the six years I spent in the High Court, I now appreciate how varied the work was.”
While Mrs Justice May commented:
“[T]here’s no one kind of person that’s suited to be or suitable for appointment. There are all kinds. What we all have in common is an appetite for learning and a pride in exercising independent judgement.”
Other judicial stars to appear in these new videos are: Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, Mr Justice Cobb, Mr Justice Garnham, Mrs Justice Theis and Mr Justice Birss.
While a number of videos have been posted in the past few days, those craving a stronger judiciary fix may be in luck. A spokesperson told us: “We may well make more videos.”
Watch one of the short YouTube clips below:
