Evaluating Judicial Performance and Addressing Gender Bias

Authors

  • Angela Melville Flinders University

Keywords:

Gender and judging, gender difference, judicial diversity, Género y hecho de juzgar, diferencia de género, diversidad judicial

Abstract

Elek and Rottman argue that judicial evaluation is often biased against women and minority judges. The need to address bias is important, however often the desire for diversity seems so self-evident as to belie deeper analysis. This paper examines the two main rationales for gender equality on the bench. First, female judges are often considered necessary in order to bring a gendered perspective to judging, however it is argued that this rationale is flawed. Second, an alternative rationale based on equality and legitimacy is offered which avoids gender essentialism. While debates typically focus on these two rationales, a third rationale embraces both difference and equality/legitimacy. The presence of female judges has an important symbolic value which destabilises existing fraternal legal norms. Finally, increasing the number of female judges may not necessarily change judging, and this paper also analyses how the transformative potential offered by judicial diversity can work in practice.

Elek y Rottman defienden que la evaluación judicial suele estar sesgada en contra de las mujeres y los jueces pertenecientes a minorías. La necesidad de abordar el sesgo es importante, sin embargo a menudo el deseo de diversidad parece tan evidente como para contradecir un análisis más profundo. Este artículo examina los dos motivos principales para la igualdad de género en el banquillo. En primer lugar, las mujeres jueces a menudo se consideran necesarias para aportar una perspectiva de género al hecho de juzgar, sin embargo, se defiende que este razonamiento es erróneo. En segundo lugar, se ofrece una alternativa lógica basada en la igualdad y la legitimidad que evita el esencialismo de género. Mientras que los debates suelen centrarse en estas dos razones, una tercera justificación abarca tanto la diferencia como la igualdad/legitimidad. La presencia de mujeres en la judicatura tiene un importante valor simbólico que desestabiliza las normas legales fraternales existentes. Por último, aumentar el número de juezas no puede cambiar necesariamente el hecho juzgar en sí, y este artículo también analiza cómo el potencial transformador que ofrece la diversidad judicial puede funcionar en la práctica.

DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2533912

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Author Biography

Angela Melville, Flinders University

Angela is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Flinders Law School. She is the former Scientific Director at the International Institute for Sociology of Law, in Onati in Spain. She has also held previous posts in the School of Law, University of Manchester; Newcastle Centre for Family Studies, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Justice Policy Research Centre, University of Newcastle, Australia; Justice Research Centre, Sydney.

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Published

13-02-2014

How to Cite

Melville, A. (2014) “Evaluating Judicial Performance and Addressing Gender Bias”, Oñati Socio-Legal Series, 4(5), pp. 880–897. Available at: https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/318 (Accessed: 28 March 2024).

Issue

Section

Conceptual and methodological issues