<\/p>\nSince tweeting about what happened to her, Wilson said she has been flooded by responses from other black and minority ethnic lawyers who have had similar experiences. She added the frequent occurrence of such incidents points to the failure of current training in the legal system that only focuses on unconscious bias or diversity.<\/p>\n
In the past 24 hours, she said three black QCs had got in touch with her to say they had had similar experiences. \u201cSomething needs to change because how can it be that people who are sitting as judges are being questioned as to why they\u2019re going into certain parts of the building.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson has called for lawyers and the court system to introduce far more ambitious anti-racism training that actively tackles discrimination in the legal profession.<\/p>\n
Wilson said she was initially stopped at the entrance by a security guard who \u201casked me what my name was so he could \u2018find [my] name on the list\u2019 [the list of defendants]\u201d. She thought that might have been an \u201cinnocent mistake\u201d.<\/p>\n
Then a member of the public told her not to go into a courtroom and to wait for the usher to sign her in for her case. She had to explain again that she was the barrister.<\/p>\n
When she was inside the courtroom, a barrister or solicitor told her to wait outside and see the usher. Wilson explained that she was a lawyer.<\/p>\n
At one point on Wednesday, Wilson was shouted at and told to leave the court room by the clerk who had asked her if she was represented. She said there needs to be training to ensure respect is shown to black people in the court system \u2013 whether they are lawyers or defendants.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a barrister is treated like that, you wonder how a defendant\u2019s going to be treated, and whether the defendant is going to be treated fairly. There needs to be more and better training. If there is training already for staff, it\u2019s clearly not going far enough,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s enough any more to say, \u2018I don\u2019t have racist views and therefore I\u2019m not racist.\u2019 I think we actually have to be consciously fighting racism.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week a Ministry of Justice report found BAME people are \u201cover-represented in applications for judicial appointment\u201d but are \u201cless likely to be successful\u201d.<\/p>\n
Wilson, whose chambers are near the Old Bailey in the City of London, is the author of In Black And White, which highlights the problem of racism in the courts. She said more action was needed in every aspect of the criminal justice system, from policing and prosecution, to sentencing, to eliminate the discrimination faced by black and minority ethnic people.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlack, Asian, and other minority groups have emailed me to say that they\u2019ve been through the same thing,\u201d Wilson added. \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely heartbreaking that this is happening to so many of us all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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