Senior UK High Court Judge Disciplined for ‘Rude and Hostile’ Behaviour when Presiding

After investigation undertaken at the behest of the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Justice Clive Lewis – a senior judge of the UK High Court of Justice, and more recently a member of the UK Court of Appeal – was disciplined, by issue of a formal warning, for engaging in what was characterised as “judicial bullying” in court.  The investigation, undertaken by a fellow High Court judge appointed by the Lord Chief Justice, found that Lord Justice Lewis intervened expressively in counsel submissions, throughout the hearing, in a manner which became increasingly harsh and rude to the extent that it constituted “judicial bullying”.

In response, Lord Justice Lewis accepted he allowed his frustrations at the hearing to show and reflected that he should have handled matters differently.  He offers his “sincere apologies”.

Lord Justice Lewis grew up in South Wales and read law at Churchill College, Cambridge.  He was an academic lawyer for many years before commencing to practice.  He was called to the Bar in 1987 and began practice in 1992 principally in the field of judicial review and public law.  He was First Counsel to the Welsh Government between 2000 and 2013.  He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2006.  He was appointed to the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division (now King’s Bench Division) in 2013.  He was a Presiding Judge, Wales from 2016 to 2019.  He was appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal in 2020.

A link to the statement from the Judicial Office Investigations Commission of 29 September 2023, may be found at here.