GeekLawyer’s Blog

Having also been on the wrong end of a major bollocking recently Geeklawyer has not a little sympathy for Mr Justice Peter Smith. Pete was referred to the Office for Naughty Judges (OJC) last year after showing “undoubted animosity” towards one of the parties in a case before him.

At least that’s the polite version. Geeklawyer told it as it really was last year: it seems law firm Addleshaw Goddard blew Pete out for a high paying gig (an attempt to parachute out of the burning Royal Courts of Justice - otherwise known as ‘Doing a Hughie“) and he blew a fuse; the fucking huge 100 amp one marked “Common Sense”. And then it got weird as Pete made a full-on stampede for the stage in an attempt to snatch away the Silver award winner’s cup for the  “Looniest Judge Evar“  from Judge Florio of the Philippines.

When AG were on the record in the trial Pete totally lost it and ripped them a new one:

“MR CRAMPIN: Having had an unsuccessful discussion or negotiation with Addleshaws, your lordship expressed yourself in strong – intemperate, almost — anguish.

“MR JUSTICE PETER SMITH: Nonsense. I don’t know what part of the country you come from, Mr Crampin, but it’s about time you grew up. If you think that’s intemperate, then you are on another planet from me. If you thought it was intemperate, then you should have seen the correspondence which didn’t trouble Mr Twigden.

“MR CRAMPIN: I’m endeavouring to make a submission, not to engage with your Lordship in badinage of that kind. The question that a fair-minded person –

Any judge in that position would hope, in a moment of calmer reflection, that it would get better; but like being caught by one’s wife balls deep in the teenage girl from next door one would have to know that it wouldn’t. A complaint to the OJC was inevitable and realised.

A year later however Pete has caught a break. The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers had a chat about it all down the pub over a cider or three and decided that while Pete had been somewhat of a plonker he merited only the bottommost level of sanctions: a reprimand for misconduct. The ONJ said:

Today a Judicial Communications Office spokesman said: “The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice have carefully considered the Court of Appeal’s comments on the conduct of Mr Justice Peter Smith . . . and have concluded that the conduct in question amounted to misconduct.

“As a result, the Lord Chief Justice has issued a reprimand to the judge.”

Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, said: “I consider that a firm line has now been drawn under this matter.

“Both I and the Lord Chancellor value the services of Mr Justice Peter Smith and he has my full confidence.”

Geeklawyer’s also; though he is fully confident that if Addleshaw Goddard intruct him to appear before Pete he will find that his diary is unexpectedly full for a jolly long time indeed.