Following a consultation that closed in December 2016 the Government has announced it is not going to introduce a fixed non-renewable term for fee paid judges. This is a welcome result not only for existing part-time officeholders but also those considering a career in the judiciary. To have introduced a fixed term would have resulted in a huge loss of experience and if it had retrospective impact, an immediate loss of expertise, particularly in the tribunals which rely heavily on the fee paid judiciary.     
 
Diversity within the judiciary is as fundamental to the proper administration of justice as judicial independence; it directly impacts on the public confidence in the courts and their decisions. The demographic of the judiciary should reflect the rich diversity of England and Wales, setting non-renewable fixed terms would have negated this aim, making it hard to recruit from the widest and best pool of talent.