Why do so few women and people of color serve on
transnational courts and tribunals? Given the paucity of seats available to
each nation on the international bench, it should be easy for states to
nominate, vote, or appoint them in greater numbers. Yet, despite a series of
initiatives to increase gender parity, women, particularly women of color,
continue to be conspicuously underrepresented on these courts. Why does it
matter? There is now an extensive body of scholarship discussing the reasons
why domestic judiciaries might strive for more diversity, including increased
legitimacy, dispelling stereotypes, higher quality decision-making and
outcomes, and internal institutional change. Are there additional, specific
benefits to greater judicial diversity to be expected at the transnational
level? Convening leading scholars in the fields of equality law and
transnational courts, this panel will address these questions with a special
focus on European and African regional courts.
Business meeting will be held during the section luncheon on Saturday, January 5, 2019 from 12:15 - 1:30 pm.