Appointed:
Appointments
High Court Judge in Northern Ireland from 2008.
Oct 2013 – Oct 2017, President of the UK Upper Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
Sept 2017 – Sept 2019 – Presiding Judge, Northern Ireland Judicial Review Court
From September 2019 – Lord Justice of Appeal, Northern Ireland and Privy Councillor
Chairman of the Northern Ireland Law Commission 2009-2012.
Judge in Residence at Queen’s University, Belfast 2010 - 2013.
Former Deputy Chairman of the Boundary Commission of Northern Ireland.
Judge of the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal
Memberships
Association of European Administrative Judges (“AEAJ”).
Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association.
Franco-British Lawyers’ Society (”FBLS”).
Franco-British-Irish-Scottish Judges’ Colloque (“FBC”)
International Association of Refugee Judges (“IARLJ”
Projects etc
Active member of/contributor to various European projects, organised by – AEAJ, FBLS, IARLJ, FBC, The European Commission, ACTIONES, OSCE and TAIEX.
General
Occasional expert, South Eastern Europe Regional Co-operation Council.
Has delivered over 1,000 judgments in the High Court, Court of Appeal and UK Upper Tribunal spanning a broad range of fields, in particular EU law, European & international human rights law public law and procedural law (see further “Publications” below).
Occasional Judicial Studies Board lecturer
Continual professional development lecturer
Author of various practice directions and kindred instruments
Occasional lecturer of students in advocacy and other subjects.
Bencher of Middle Temple
Publications
Author of “The Human Rights Act 1998: Recurring Themes and Principles” and of various other papers in the fields of human rights law, EU law, public law, extradition law, immigration law, asylum law, EU procurement law, EU and domestic planning and environmental law, judgment writing, judicial ethics, advocacy and procedural law.
Author of publications in The Commonwealth Law Journal, The Commonwealth Law Bulletin, The European Human Rights Review, The Bracton Law Journal, the “JR” journal and in Servicing The Legal System [N.I.] “Judicial Voices” series.
Has also addressed a number of seminars and conferences, national and international, presenting papers on diverse subjects – mainly human rights, public law, EU law, immigration law, extradition law, planning/environmental law, judicial ethics and modern litigation procedural practice.