New Presiding Judges appointed

The Lord Chief Justice has announced the appointment of three Presiding Judges, in concurrence with the Lord Chancellor.

Mr Justice Coulson has been appointed to the North Eastern, where he will succeed Mr Justice Wilkie.

Mr Justice Burnett has been appointed to the Western Circuit where he will take over from Mr Justice Royce.

Mr Justice Nicol has been appointed to South Eastern Circuit where he will take over from Mr Justice Bean.

These appointments are made from 1 January 2011, when the current Presiding Judges step down, to 31 December 2014.

Ends

1. Mr Justice Nicol was educated at Selwyn College, Cambridge and then Harvard Law School. He was called to the Bar, Middle Temple, and was in practice from 1979-2009. He became a Bencher in 2004; he was appointed as a QC in 1995; Assistant Recorder from 1998-2000; Recorder from 2000-2009. He has been a Judge of the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division since 2009.

2. Mr Justice Coulson was educated at the University of Keele. He was called to the Bar, Gray’s Inn in 1982 and was in practice from 1984-2004; became a Bencher in 2001; was a Recorder from 2002-04 and a Circuit Judge from 2004-07. He has been a Judge of the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division since 2008.

3. Mr Justice Burnett was educated at Pembroke College, Oxford and called to the Bar, Middle Temple in 1980. He became a QC in 1998; Bencher of the Middle Temple in 2001; was Assistant Recorder from 1998-2000; Recorder from 2000-08 and was Head of Chambers from 2003-08. He has been a Judge of the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division since 2008.

4. Presiding Judges are responsible for the deployment of the judiciary and allocation of cases on their Circuit. They also have a responsibility for general supervision of judges on their circuits.